Archived Story: Of Snow and Whirlpools
by Orpheus Kidwell
Summary: Uploaded for Archival Purposes. In a last-ditch effort to save his first friend, Naruto performs ritual with the help of the Kyuubi. AU.
1. Chapter I

**Of Snow and Whirlpools**

**I'm sure everyone know the drill by now. I wonder just how many stories I'll end up with when I'm done uploading these archives? Probably something really ridiculous.**

**Chapter I: Friends with the Enemy**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any other elements that may appear. I only own OC's, original Jutsu, the storyline, and any original kekkai genkai.**

She saw him right there on the ground, asleep like he was safe. Yuki Haku, dressed in a pink kimono and her choker around her neck, was confused on what to do as she looked at the prone form of one of the genin that helped that Kakashi-teme harm Zabuza-sama. She was just out gathering herbs to heal her master and comes to find one of her master's enemies… asleep… and she has no senbon! What is she supposed to do?

Before she knew it… the ice-user found herself above him, and she knew she was prepared to strangle the blonde. His hair was set in spikes held back by a Konoha headband, his face was tan with three whisker-like marks on each cheek. He was dressed in a black shirt and ANBU pants, black fingerless gloves, and a trench coat that looked to be holding at the very least, seven scrolls. There was a ninja pouch on his left hip and another right below it, and his ankles and feet were wrapped in bandages while he wore jet black sandals. He was dressed completely for stealth.

Suddenly, his eyes shot open! Two orbs of the deepest cerulean she had ever seen… deeper than the ocean itself. Quickly, Haku put on a smile that only the best could tell was fake. "Why hello there." She said cheerfully. "I was just about to wake you. You know it's not very safe to sleep in a forest?" The boy stood up and chuckled.

"Nah, I'll be fine. I've been through enough danger to have a sense of when to be careful." Haku kept her smile up but on the inside… **_D-did he know? No… it's not possible. Not even a sensor can tell someone's emotions. Maybe I lost this chance… but no more!_**

"Are you a Shinobi then?" She asked, though she already knew the answer.

"Yeah, Uzumaki Naruto, Genin of Konohagakure at your service!" He stated cheerfully, but Haku saw… something in his eyes. Something she very well. The loneliness… fear… anger… hatred… despair… eyes like she held before Zabuza-sama found her… only much, much worse.

She smiled at him, keeping the act up. "That is quite amazing, Naruto-san. I am Yuki Haku."

Naruto grinned foxily at the paler girl, and for some reason it made her face warm a little, but she was able to get rid of her blush. "Nice to meet you, Haku-chan!" He said, and this time her blush came back. No one she had ever met referred to her as –chan. Not even Zabuza-sama. "So… are you picking flowers then?" He asked curiously and she nodded.

"Hai, Naruto-san. I am picking herbs to make a salve for my friend. He is injured and needs it to heal." He looked at her and smiled slightly, not the grin from before, but this one somehow looked more… genuine.

"Can I help you, Haku-chan?" She was taken aback by that, but nodded anyways.

"Hai, you see the ones in here? I need more of them." He studied them for a second and nodded, the two began working to find the herbs, as they talked. "So… Naruto-san…"

"Just Naruto, please? I don't like formalities much."

"Hai… Naruto. Why were you out here; were you training?" She asked, hoping to get some information on him for the next battle.

"That's part of it…" He sighed. "My team… doesn't exactly see eye to eye with me. I got into an argument with Sasuke, my teammate, and Sakura, my other one. She usually takes his side, and she's little more than his fangirl. I just wanted to see whether Sasuke had any tips for Katon jutsu, since I have an affinity for the fire element, but he just scoffed and told me I would never be able to do anything. Then Sakura agreed and yelled at me for being a 'baka' and tried to hit me. Damn Kakashi-sensei just stayed where he was at the table, reading his smut Icha-icha while it happened. So I decided to just leave the house and come here to try and train up."

Haku frowned at his explanation. "Your team doesn't sound very productive." Haku commented as she grabbed another herb. "In fact it sounds as if you never get along. Wouldn't that get you killed in the ninja world?" She asked with false curiosity.

"Yeah… but it's not like I have any choice. I mean… not really. The only reason I'm even able to be a shinobi is because of the spoiled Uchiha on my team… the Council will do anything to keep him happy… whereas they do everything to try and keep me from learning…" He sighed.

Haku was truly curious now and looked at the blonde. "What do you mean? Shouldn't they wish for their soldiers to be the best they can be?"

"You would think that, wouldn't you?" He shook his head. "Everything I know, I taught myself. Some of the Jōnin who know about my… predicament help me out from time to time, training, scrolls, supplies, even bringing me lunch now and again. But I can't say that there are more of them than I have fingers." Another sigh escaped his lips. "Sorry for ranting on, Haku-chan. I don't want to force my problems on you." She smiled sadly.

"Not to worry Naruto, I am quite okay with it. Even with that… you're pretty strong right?" The boy smiled another of those smiles that didn't look fake, and Haku found she liked that smile.

"I suppose so. With all that happened… I have to be."

"So… do you have someone precious to you? A person that means the world to you?"

"Like… a girlfriend?" He asked, his searing blue eyes staring into her own chocolate ones.

"T-that's not what I meant!" Haku argued, a deep crimson blush flooding her cheeks. After she was in control, she smiled. "No… a friend that you would give your life for?" The blonde's eyes seemed to wander as he was lost in memory and thought.

"I… used to, Haku-chan. And I tried to keep her safe… but I just wasn't strong enough. She was like a mother to me… since I never knew my own." Haku saw the despair in his eyes, as well as the happiness at remembering his precious person, so she put one of her slim hands on his shoulder.

"Would you like to tell me about her?" He smiled sadly.

"My own mother, a great kunoichi known as Uzumaki Kushina, died the day I was born. From stories I've heard, she was as strong as the Yondaime Hokage, Namikaze Minato, the Yellow Flash, and became known as the Red Death of Konoha, the Konohagakure no Akashi. She was exceptionally strong with her genius in seals, her chakra chains, her kenjutsu style, and her affinity for Suiton surpassing even that of the Nidaime Hokage, who could pull water right from the air. She was also student of the Slug Princess, Senju Tsunade along with Hyūga Hitomi and Uchiha Mikoto, one of the few all kunoichi teams that made it to ANBU together. After my mother's death… both of her teammates, Mikoto and Hitomi, tried to adopt me, but… the Council would not allow it, unfortunately. So I stayed an orphan.

"Hitomi-chan and Mikoto-chan were the only two people that saw me as a human and not… for my differences everyone hated me for. They didn't care that they were wives to the two most powerful clan heads of Konoha… I was like their son, and they would never abandon me. I even grew to see their children as my own siblings. Hinata was the shy sister and Sasuke was the brother who always wanted to be stronger. Hanabi was the little sister who wanted to prove herself. And Itachi… he was the older brother we all looked up to. But… Hitomi-chan fell deathly ill after Hanabi-imouto's birth and in six months… her health deteriorated so much that she died, leaving Hiashi, her husband, as clan head and father of two. Hinata, Sasuke and I were only six years old…

"It was really sad… because Hinata withdrew into herself, becoming even meeker than she was, stuttering like crazy and blushing over the smallest thing. I think that since I was the closest she had to family, she grew an obsession towards me, following me everywhere I went like a lost puppy and always trying to impress me. Sasuke… he seemed fine, but he became a little colder to us after the woman he saw as his obaa-san died. I just trained harder, hating that I couldn't help her, that I was useless. I forced myself to becoming stronger, faster, smarter, and I had to refine my chakra control more and more so that I could reach one of my goals of learning medical ninjutsu. My… difference towards everyone else stopped it though. I kept trying harder and harder, just as Sasuke was getting colder and Hinata meeker. Then…"

"Then?" Haku asked. She didn't care about the information for Zabuza-sama anymore. She was enthralled by this boy's story.

"Three years later, we were on the road to recovery. Hinata had gained enough confidence to finally master a few katas of the Jūken, and Sasuke was open, though only with us, Hanabi, and his older brother, Itachi. Then… tragedy struck when we were nine. Sasuke's family suffered a great loss."

"Mikoto died?" She asked with a gasp.

"Uchiha Itachi murdered… all of the Uchiha besides Sasuke. He was stuck in a coma of shock for a whole month and a half and when he finally recovered enough to return to the Konoha Academy… he wouldn't talk to anyone. All he ever did was train and brood about how he would kill his brother Itachi and avenge his clan. Hinata was so depressed after the incident of losing the other mother figure in her life, she tried to kill herself… seven times… in two months. She became a shell of the sister I once had and cried herself to sleep. She was even worse with her obsession with me… she practically worshiped the ground I walked on and her meekness disappeared for rage at anyone who dared insult me, even slightly or accidentally. My entire surrogate family turned either dead, insane or criminal, and I was powerless to stop it. So you know what I did? I trained… more and more. I only did the bare minimum necessary to pass the Academy, sleeping through classes, all the while getting better and better. But… it didn't take away the pain. Or the guilt.

"I could've become a genin after Hitomi-chan's death… or after the Uchiha massacre… but I wouldn't. I wouldn't leave my two mentally instable siblings and go off on dangerous missions, perhaps as an ANBU by now. Even Hanabi-chan… my poor little sister, she became completely obsessed with taking over as clan head, beating Hinata in everything… and Hiashi could do nothing. If the public knew of his daughters' insanity… it would ruin the Hyūga clan. So, I have to get stronger. It may be a lost cause, I know it… but my siblings, I just know that I might be able to save them somehow one day, if only I could get stronger."

"Then… you truly are strong already." Haku said with a soft smile. "You wish for power in order to keep your precious people safe. When someone fights for their precious person… that is when they truly become strong." The blonde smiled and looked at their baskets, frowning as he saw both full. "It seems I must go and help my friend."

"Can I see you again, Haku-chan? Perhaps… next time I can hear your story?" He asked with a sad smile. Haku hesitated… she really shouldn't… she should stay with Zabuza-sama… not know this boy. She should've just said no, should've apologized and made up a story about this being the only day she would be here, maybe her friend was a traveling merchant or something?

"Hai… I would like that, Naruto…kun." She said with a smile before walking off, a light blush on her cheeks at the thought of the boy, the cute boy with a past just as bad as hers. Maybe… she really would talk to him again. But first…**_I'm coming to help you, Zabuza-sama._**

Uzumaki Naruto smiled to himself as he watched Haku leave the forest grove that he was in, carrying her basket away with a cute blush as she exited. Once she was out of sight, he frowned. "She… she's just like me…" He stated to himself quietly, an inaudible whisper. "I saw her eyes… they were part of a mask… hiding… hiding her true self. Her loneliness… her despair… her anger… her… isolation. Her mask is even easier to read and harder to understand than Anko's… what happened to her?" Naruto shook his head. "And on top of that… her chakra… her killing intent… her Negative Emotions… she's that hunter nin from before."

In the back of his head, the blonde heard a familiar voice. **"True, kit. Very true. But I felt little to no lying on her part. This Haku… she told the truth in most everything she said. Even the last part where she wanted to come back and talk to you. I sensed… deep pain within her very being. Pain she has tried to bury within her. I don't know what happened to her, or how she's dealing with the immense amount of hurt she is experiencing within herself… but she is definitely like you. What will you do about it?"**

**_Kurama-sensei…_**the blonde thought back. **_I'm not entirely sure. She is an enemy of the mission… but I don't want to harm her more than she already is. She's like me… and I hate doing anything to those who already have enough pain within themselves._**

**"Or maybe my little kit has a crush?" **Kurama snickered in his mind as the blonde blushed slightly.

**_Sh-Shut up! I do not!_**

**"She was really cute though… you have my approval, Naru-chan!"**

**_Just shut up Kurama and let me train some more._**Just then, Naruto's stomach growled. **_Right after I get some breakfast!_**With that, the blonde jinchūriki ran out of the clearing, already having all his possessions within the storage scroll in his trench coat, one of seven scrolls he always kept on him.

**[Tazuna's House]**

Tsunami looked at the table curiously, wondering something. It was breakfast and mostly everyone was already seated and eating. Well… seated anyways. Her father was on one end, eating the meager breakfast she served while drinking a little sake, and her son as well, minus the sake. The masked jōnin was eating while reading, and the black-eyed Uchiha boy seemed to be brooding over something while eating her cooking. The pink-haired girl was also seated, right next to the Uchiha in fact, but she favored staring at the emo-looking boy with hearts in her eyes instead of eating her breakfast. That was insulting! Was her food not good enough?

Inwardly, the civilian woman panicked. Was she not a good hostess to these shinobi? Were they not comfortable enough and well-fed? They had come and were protecting her father and her village from the good of their hearts when they didn't have too, and she wasn't being the best she could be in return! Oh no!

Breaking the woman's negative thoughts was the opening of the front door, which caused Sasuke and Kakashi to get up, kunai in hand, only to see it was… Naruto. The silver and black-haired duo simply sat back down wordlessly, uncaring of the blonde. He didn't seem to care about them either, instead taking a seat at the table furthest from his team, and next to Tsunami, where a plate was already set up for him. With a smile, he began speaking to Tsunami. "Good morning, Tsunami. How are you? Your cooking smells delicious, as always."

She smiled at him, relieved she wasn't being a horrible hostess to her village's shinobi protectors. "Good morning, Naruto. I am very well and thank you." Then the woman looked at the state of the boy's dress… dirt covered everything. "Where did you go last night? You didn't sleep outside, did you?"

After he finished his mouthful of food, he replied. "Hai, Tsunami. I was out training and by the time I finished, I was too tired to come back. I prefer sleeping outside anyways, it is more comfortable to me and reminds me of home…" He smiled sadly before shaking his head. "Anyways, I hope my team didn't argue too much after I left? They didn't give you trouble?" Tsunami shook her head.

"No, they were quite alright. Though Sakura was a bit loud…" Naruto raised an eyebrow. No matter how much it welcomed her to be rude, she shouldn't. "Sasuke and Kakashi were quiet enough though, if you don't count Kakashi's giggling…"

"Yeah… I suppose that's how I expected them to act." The blonde spotted Tazuna finished with breakfast and at the door, waiting. "Anyways, it's my day to guard Tazuna, so I'll see you later, Tsunami. Ja ne!" And with that, he went to Tazuna and they made their way to the bridge.

**[Zabuza's Hideout]**

Zabuza's place of dwelling within the village of Nami in Nami no Kuni was rather simple. On the edge of the village, within the forest to the northeast just two miles outward lay a large warehouse made of chakra steel and covered in fading seals left over from the time that Uzushiogakure still existed and was allied to the small island of Wave. It was some thirty feet high and looked to be medium-sized on the outside but on the inside was a different story. Over seventy feet tall and well over five thousand square-feet and four rooms, two for storage, one for a kitchen, and the last was a bedroom with four beds, one for Zabuza, Haku, and the Oni Brothers respectively. In the storage rooms were many different things the four had gathered over the years since their abandoning Kirigakure: weapons, scrolls, disguises, ryo, and all manner of treasure, gold, and jewels. Even at only A-rank, Momochi Zabuza was a wealthy individual, but not near the wealth he needed for his true dream, to fund the rebellion and kill Yagura so that the Bloody Mist would exist no longer and the true Kirigakure would be revived once more.

In the bedroom lie the prone figure of one Kirigakure no Kijin, Momochi Zabuza himself. The Kubikiribōcho lay leaning against his bed and Haku stood on his other side, a bowl of salve in her hands that she was treating his wounds with. Each time her slender fingers applied the healing solution, one of the most feared missing-nin living winced at the stinging sensation it presented to his injured body. "Gomenesai, Zabuza-sama." The girl apologized once more for harming her master.

"Just get it over with, Haku." He replied. "The quicker I'm able to move, the quicker I can kill that damn Kakashi-teme and get my pay for offing the bridge builder." He growled again as the stinging returned.

"Zabuza-sama… what about the genin with him?" Haku asked cautiously, her mind still on the intriguing blonde she had met just two days ago.

"The genin?" He thought. "The pink one will die, definitely. Those boys show promise though. Recruiting one of them might be beneficial. That black-haired boy had the looks of an Uchiha, but that clan was known for nothing if not backstabbing. No, I don't think he would be a good long-term investment." Zabuza mumbled.

"A-and the blonde?" Haku asked.

"Heh, never know. I saw his eyes, Haku. Just like yours. Bet I could get him on our side, if the hatred in his eyes was any indicator. He hesitated to protect that kunoichi. If I'm not mistaken… the other two on his team ignored him as if he were nothing more than the air or the ground they walk on. But that's beside the point and just wishful thinking, you know." Haku clenched one of her fists and brought up as much courage as she could muster.

"W-what if… what if I could convince him to come with us? What if I could get him to our side?" Zabuza set his gaze on the girl, eying her suspiciously.

"Hm… If you could, I suppose I could take him with us. Yeah, if you can get him on our side, then I will let him come." The ex-Kiri nin smirked suddenly. "Does Haku have a crush on the little blonde genin?" Haku fought down a blush as she applied more of the salve to Zabuza, a bit more forcefully this time.

And she very much enjoyed the yelp of pain that resulted.

**[Tazuna's Bridge]**

Naruto and Tazuna arrived at the bridge pretty quickly and just as they did, the blonde noticed a worker coming up to Tazuna. It was apparent he wished to quit for fear of his life as they had a conversation and Naruto shook his head. "So, I gather this happens a lot nowadays?" Naruto asked the man who nodded.

"I suppose this is your first time up at the bridge, ne? Well, my men are quitting left and right. I don't blame them either. They just want to stay alive, I suppose… and who am I to deny them safety? But I will finish this bridge, even if I have to build it myself! For I am the super bridge builder Tazuna!"

Naruto smiled at his client's enthusiasm. "So… you'll really do it all by yourself?"

The bridge builder nodded. "Hai… though I have no wish too. I am a designer, not a worker. I'm nowhere near my prime and I would likely die in the process of creating the bridge. I just wish I had a workforce that didn't keep leaving me."

The blonde nodded and smirked. "I believe I can help with that. I'm not too experienced with building but…" Naruto made a single hand seal with his index and middle fingers crossed over one another.** "Mass Shadow Clone Jutsu!" **In an instant and a cloud of smoke later, at least two hundred copies of the original blonde materialized. "Just give them orders and every time one is destroyed the rest will get their memories!"

Tazuna gaped at the sheer amount of workers he just gained. "This will cut the time for building by so much!"

Naruto laughed sheepishly and rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, but… unfortunately I can only do this on my guard days, because the other days I'll be training and need as much chakra as I can. But you'll get more workers every four days, Tazuna."

"Still… this is impressive. Can your teammates do this too?" Tazuna was careful not to call the other three his friends, as it was apparent for one reason or another, they were no friends with him. Well, Tazuna and Tsunami sure appreciated the kid, for sure. He regularly helped Tsunami cook whenever he was at the house and not training, and now he just gave Tazuna double the workforce he currently had! Uzumaki Naruto was something special alright.

"No… it takes a lot of chakra to make even five. I think Kakashi-sensei can only make ten at once… but thanks to my… kekkai genkai, I have much more chakra than other people normally. I could make at least five times as this if I wanted, but I need these to learn more before I give you too many and wreck your bridge. Hehe…"

The builder nodded and began doling out orders as the blonde stood to the side, keeping an eye on all of the things going on. The workers were working hard… but there seemed to be a sense of foreboding with them. An imminent doom they were prepared for. Or at least preparing for. He could feel their fear and despair, constant and looming, through the Negative Emotions Sense granted to him through being the Kyūbi jinchūriki.

**_This Gatō is really evil… He deserves to die for all that he is putting these people through. All for greed too. He merely wishes to have more money, and with it power, so he does all in his power to make sure Nami is in his vice-like grip, unable to become independent, unable to do anything for themselves whatsoever. This is why greed is one of the Seven Deadly Sins of the Western Lands' primary religion, if those books I 'borrowed' from the Konoha library is any indication. Greed is a deadly thing to any ailed by it, and any who are victims to its evil…_**

**"Ever philosophical, aren't you, kit? Yes, greed does do this to you ningen… it is most unfortunate, really. So much potential in your race to achieve things not even Akuma, Yama, Kami or Shinigami can do… all wasted on the sins of the few in power. Greed… Pride… Gluttony… Wrath… Lust… Envy… Sloth… The true power of demons relies not on that of our chakra, or our youki, or of our knowledge, or our size… it remains in tempting those with a small seed of darkness in them into going down one of these seven paths. It is a game of speech, not power, and one all bijuu, as well as the lesser demons, have mastered over centuries of psychological games. Looks like my lessons with you have really paid off. You're thinking like a fox now, kit."**

**_Hehe… should I be worried you approve? Wouldn't matter anyways. You're one of my few friends, Kurama-sensei. Ever since you healed me on my fifth birthday when we struck that deal._**

**"Ah yes… I grant you a few abilities of the Yoko and teach you and in exchange, you give me access to your senses and keep me entertained with fights and tricking Konoha. Those pranks you pull are very foxlike… painting the Hokage Monument in broad daylight on the very day of your graduation exam and outrunning all the ANBU? Very much a kitsune if I ever saw one."**

**_And very good for my training, you know. My stealth and speed have increased dramatically ever since I began my pranks. And it also got me a few of the better jutsu in my storage scrolls._**

**"Ah yes… why have you yet to look in the one you got from…"**

**_Not yet, sensei. I won't be like so many of the Hyūga and Uchiha, before nii-san killed them anyways, and rely on one thing passed to me. My skills will be my own. Plus… I probably didn't even get my kaa-san's kekkai genkai, you know._**

**"Yes… Kushina-chan was really special. But you'll find your own way, Naruto. I believe in you."**

**_Thanks, Kurama-sensei. I just hope I don't screw it all up…_**

**[Team 7]**

Kakashi eyed his two remaining students… well one. Sakura never did anything productive… besides staying out of the way. He would have to fix that sometime soon. They had already finished tree walking, way ahead of schedule. Sakura could at least do that, though she needed to increase her chakra reserves. Sasuke had worked to the ground getting the exercise finished once he found out that… Naruto could do it. That certainly had been a surprise.

Just what could he do?

Now that he thought of it… Kakashi had never seen him not training, yet his grades at the Academy were trash. The file said he slept through the classes on a regular basis… even more so than Shikamaru. What was going on? He had no clan… no tutor… and just a little help from a sympathetic Chūnin, Jōnin or ANBU every now and then to give him the one tip he needed to move on. But he was… it was eerie how powerful he was, for a genin anyways.

Not that him or Itachi hadn't been so strong at such a rank, but Naruto was the exact age a genin should be. And yet he could probably take on all of the current Konoha genin… and possibly even an inexperienced Chūnin. The boy could already use some low-level Fūton jutsu, dispel genjutsu, make solid clones, and knew the Hokage's own **Shadow Shuriken Clone Jutsu **rather effectively. Plus he had his chakra control refined to a level that allowed him to fight on water, a skill most Chūnin had trouble with until they were experienced.

And then… there were those scrolls he kept with him always. He had been reading one just last week and Kakashi saw Sasuke try to get it… only to fall to his knees in immense pain as soon as he touched it. Then the blonde had proceeded to scold the Uchiha heir about not thinking before he acted. He had explained to him about how all of his scrolls were protected by seals that would repel any chakra-based attacks, protect against the sharpest steel, were fire-proof, and even would harm someone with either a nasty shock, a cutting blade of wind, or an immense burn if anyone that did not hold his chakra touched them. Sakura had proceeded to _ask_ why couldn't do that and the blonde's answer was quite simple.

**_"Well, Sakura. If the Uchiha had bothered to remember about my heritage instead of blindly following the short-term path to more power so he could kill Itachi-nii-san, then he would remember that us Uzumaki have fuinjutsu in our blood. Almost a… kekkai genkai you could say. Seals are second nature to me by now, Haruno. He should remember that next time he tries to take anything from me."_**

Kakashi may not be the best with fuinjutsu… but even he knew that those seals were all at least level six or seven alone... not even counting being able to cross them into one seal and then include a storage seal on each one… that had to be high level, complex stuff. But only Jiraiya and the Sandaime had such skill of those living, and Kakashi doubted they could even do such a thing. Only… Kushina and Minato-sensei were really that good. Perhaps Naruto had inherited the skill of two fuinjutsu masters from his parents?

The silver-haired jōnin shook his thoughts away as he saw Sasuke prepare to cast a jutsu. Kakashi had promised to teach the Uchiha genin a new Katon technique if he could finish tree climbing in less than a week… he did it in two days. **"Fire Style: Great Fire Hound Jutsu!" **He opened his mouth and spewed forth a stream of orange fire that slowly began to swirl and shape itself into the rough shape of a canine… before exploding outwards and throwing Sasuke back, his body littered in a few first-degree burns that would heal in no time.

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura ran to the fallen genin and crouched next to him. "Are you okay, Sasuke-kun?"

"Get away from me." He emotionlessly responded as he stood up and caught his breath with struggle. "What did I do wrong, Kakashi-sensei?" He demanded to know.

"Well… you used too much chakra that time. Didn't I tell you already? Too much chakra and it will explode, too little and it'll burn out. Fire is the hardest element to manipulate the shape of, Sasuke. Didn't you learn that already? Adaptable Water is the easiest, followed by Flowing Wind. Steady Earth will shape to your will and Lightning Conducts through the right material, but Fire is raging and only calm can control it."

Sasuke growled. "Fine! I'll use less chakra this time!" He got back up, ready to try again and Kakashi eye smiled as this time he used too little and the technique dispersed in seconds. The jōnin sensei of Team 7 then leaned against a tree, opening his Icha-Icha as Sasuke continued to try, and continued to get burned, and giggled perversely. **_Such naughty girls you are, Nagata-chan and Yahiki-chan… and such a lucky boy you are Kona, now I want to go to the Village Hidden in Monsoons… if only it existed!_**

**[Naruto's Training Grove, Later that Day]**

**"Nine-Tails Shadow Clone Jutsu!" **Naruto had his hands in the ram seal as he created a single clone infused with a part of Kurama's soul and youki, allowing her to materialize in the world, even if only for a small time. Once the cloud of red smoke dispersed, she appeared in her human form. The queen of kitsune was maybe six inches taller than her container with long red hair that fell past her waist and shining crimson eyes with slit pupils. She wore a crimson battle kimono with black edging that did little to hide her impressive hourglass figure, D-cup breasts and tempting curves. From the back of her waist nine, bushy and crimson tails with orange tips protruded, swaying gently back and forth, brushing each other and the surrounding flora of the grove. The demoness' slightly opened mouth revealed short fangs and her hands had two-to-three inch claws on each finger. Of each side atop her head were fox ears and on her cheeks were three whisker-like marks resembling Naruto's. Her feet were bare of anything and had no claws.

Kurama stretched her limbs to loosen up after being stuck in a cage for so long. "Thanks for letting me out, Naruto." She said with a foxy grin.

"You're welcome… sensei. You know, I called you for something specific though." He told his bijuu. "Yoko are known for two things, fox illusions and foxfire. My control is nowhere near enough to use illusions, but I know you know how to help me with fire."

Kurama smiled. "Hai, Naruto-kun. I do know at least that. Though I am much better with the youki-powered foxfire, I can use all types. That is why you have an affinity to it just by holding me within you. I know quite a few Katon jutsu that the Sarutobi scroll doesn't contain."

"I thought you might."

"Hai, hai. I know. Now, let's see about teaching you, ne? You will need to first begin on your fire-natured manipulation. Just as Asuma showed you that with wind-natured chakra you must cut a leaf with only your chakra, fire-natured chakra can be trained by setting things alight." One of her fox tails grasped a dead stick from a tree and tossed it to Naruto, who caught it. "The trick to training you fire affinity is to raise the temperature of your chakra enough to actually set the oxygen in the air on fire. The simplest way to take your first step is to heat up this stick with chakra by moving it faster and faster through the stick itself. The first lesson is to actually light the stick. I will give you the next exercise when you can accomplish lighting it on fire within five seconds. That will put your fire manipulation up to C-rank, enough to teach you your first technique."

"Hai sensei." Naruto nodded.

"Good. As you know, our mental link is still active even while I'm a clone, so just contact me through there if you have trouble or are ready to move on and I'll simply look through your eyes to see."

"Where are you going, Kurama-sensei?" The blonde asked curiously.

"I have… an errand to do here in Nami. Just a hunch I've had for the longest time. If I am right, then you will thank me. Until then… train. Practice makes perfect!" Kurama's grin was the last thing Naruto saw as she disappeared in a swirl of purple foxfire.

"Well… may as well get started." And with that Naruto attempted to push his chakra into the stick faster and faster and set it on fire… only for it to explode into splinters. "Hm… too much chakra. This… could take a while."

**[Gatō Corporation, Nami HQ]**

In a swirl of purple flames, Kurama appeared on the side of a large building of marble. It looked at least five stories tall and she could feel – at the very least – sixty signatures in and around the building. **_Hm… so it looks like Gatō is on the top floor, and one other chakra signature is up there, presumably his secretary. A few others on the fourth and third floors… and the rest are obviously hired thugs to act as bodyguards, by the emotions they're emitting. This will be too easy. He should've hired at least a few missing-nin for protection._**** "Fox Illusion: False Shadow!" **Her form suddenly was wrapped in a cloak of the surrounding shadows, giving off the illusion of her becoming invisible. This was the simplest and lowest ranked of all the invisibility fox illusions and perfect to infiltrate this place.

She used a bit of demonic chakra then to stick to the wall, slowly crawling upwards to the top with the cloak of shadows concealing her form from all. She passed over the first four floors easily, seeing nothing interesting for her or her kit. But on the very top floor, she cursed silently. Just as she thought, Gatō was inside his office as well as his secretary. She was a relatively plain woman of mid-forties, by her look, with brown eyes, lightly tanned skin, streaks of grey in her brown hair, which was set in a single bun at the back of her head, and wore a blue kimono with a lighter blue for the edges. It looked like they were talking, so being a curious fox, Kurama performed a few handseals, activating one of her secret kekkai genkai she had… _acquired_ over her long life. **"Mangekyō Sharingan. Kamui." **Her red eyes showed three black tomoes that quickly spun into the shape of a four-armed star as she phased through the wall in front of her, still invisible.

She smirked to herself. **_I love these ningens' bloodlines. DNA is just so fun to play with… and so easy to manipulate if you know how. All those shinobi and kunoichi in my experiments were well worth the sacrifice. It is just too bad I was captured by Mito before I could reform otou-sama's abilities. And then damn Orochimaru! Finding all of my research and using it for himself… I swear I'll kill him if I ever see him!_**

She shook her thoughts away though and paid attention to the conversation, keeping her regular **Sharingan **active so she could memorize it. "He should be all healed up in two weeks…" the secretary stated. "And then I believe Zabuza and Kakashi will in fact fight, on Zabuza's own chosen battlefield, if my guess is correct." She continued.

"Yes… that is perfect. By then the rest of the bandits I hired will have made it here in Nami. After the battle is finished, regardless of the victor, I will make sure they kill the ninja. All of them. After that is all finished… then Nami will be under my complete control." He chuckled to himself, then stopped. "Tsuki… is there really an Uzumaki among the Konoha ninja?"

She nodded. "Hai, Gatō-sama." She stated. "If the reports from your spies in Nami are to be trusted, there is. Even if he has blonde hair and blue eyes, unlike most Uzumaki, he shows to have great amounts of chakra, one of the signs of the Uzumaki kekkai genkai. It is no coincidence, I think. Zabuza's apprentice too… she is a Yuki."

"There is no possible way they know what I have in my vault, is there? They were expensive enough off the black market, you know. The Fuyu no Daikama and that Uzumaki scroll cost a fortune… I thought both clans were dead? That's the only reason I bought them. If I had bought that Hyūga scroll from the Byakugan wielder in Taki or Terumi Haon Staff off my contact in Iwa… I just know I would have either clan on me in months."

"Hai, Gatō-sama. I don't believe they know yet, but perhaps it would be safe to double the mercenaries in case? I am not sure it would be a good idea to leave your most prized possessions unguarded, just in case they survive the battle?"

Gatō nodded from his chair. "You are right, Tsuki. Hai… hire that second camp we know of, just in case. That should bring our numbers past 700, easily enough to stop any genin."

"Hai, Gatō-sama. I will send a messenger immediately." She bowed her head before dashing off to fulfill her employer's orders as the redheaded Yoko in human form looked at the short man in thought, eyes closed in concentration.

**_Hm… this information… what should I do with it? The scroll… I absolutely must get it for Naruto… but the scythe? I know of it. It will freeze anyone without Yuki DNA from the inside out, a very painful, and effective, defense mechanism. Gatō probably had to transport it in some sort of high-grade chakra draining container… This trip will be even more productive than I imagined. The possibilities… they are great._**

Gatō never even noticed the sudden disappearance of a patch of shadows in his office as one nine-tailed Yoko disappeared without a single trace elsewhere.

**[With Haku]**

Haku made her way through the village of Nami, dressed in her civilian clothes once more as she headed to where she hoped Naruto would be, in that same grove as last time. Her thoughts had been occupied with only him since yesterday. He was… an enigma. He seemed so cheerful… but she had seen his eyes, more than once. Throughout the entire morning that he helped her, she caught _that _look in his eyes. The same look as herself.

That look of loneliness, the loneliness which can only be brought by the voluntary shunning of others… by being persecuted for something out of your control… by being hunted simply because of what you hold, without anyone's regard for who you are.

That look that she held her entire time in Kiri after her parents died. **_Kaa-san by tou-san's hands… and tou-san by my own._** She shook that thought away. Long ago, Zabuza-sama had taught her to stay away from those thoughts, lest she go insane. To this day… her tou-san was the only kill on her hands… even with being by Zabuza-sama's side all these years.

Soon, Haku came upon the grove she had found her blonde companion in yesterday and saw him. He was holding a single stick, no longer than a foot, in his hand and appeared to be in concentration. Haku observed him in curiosity and saw that the stick began smoking at the tip before it burst into flames. He grinned to himself and the ice-user heard him mutter "That was still seven seconds. I need to cut the time by two before I can try the jutsu… just a little more practice."

It was at this moment that Haku walked into the grove and Naruto spied her. "Oh, hey Haku-chan!" The blonde smiled to her. "I knew you'd come back today."

Haku smiled a little. "Yeah… I said I would, didn't I? So… what were you doing? And how'd you get that stick to light up?"

He grinned, but Haku noticed it didn't have the same… feeling as the smaller smile he gave her yesterday. This one seemed… practiced… fake… a mask. "Well, I got my sensei to tell me how train in fire-nature manipulation." He stated. "I'm supposed to light this stick on fire with my chakra in five seconds and then she'll teach me a Katon jutsu."

"She?" Haku asked. "But… isn't the only jōnin that came with you a man?" She asked.

Naruto smiled before sitting on the grass, motioning for Haku to do the same, so she sat across from him. "Yeah… I don't really think of Kakashi as my sensei though. He hasn't taught me anything I know. Well… I suppose he did give me a small tip when I was nine on how to train my speed… but I only have one true sensei. She taught me everything I know, for the most part, besides my abilities with Fūton manipulation and ninjutsu. So Haku… how's Zabuza doing?"

The girl started at that, looking at Naruto with wide eyes. He smiled that true smile of his then, the one that made her heart speed just a little for some reason. "W-who is Zabuza?" She asked in a somewhat convincing tone.

"Please don't lie, Haku…" the kunoichi noted the lack of –chan and it bothered her more than it should have. "I won't tell my team about him. Even if I'm sure that Kakashi already suspects Zabuza still lives. I can tell he's special to you. And you know… out of everyone I've ever met, you're the closest thing to a friend I have, right? My family is destroyed, my village despises me, and the adults who don't try to assault, poison, or otherwise harm me either act as if I don't even exist or only talk to me for about five minutes before leaving me alone for weeks at a time. Those of my own generation… my own ex-classmates in the Academy… Sasuke, Sakura, Ino and Kiba despise me, for differing reasons, Shikamaru, Shino, and Chōji are indifferent, and Hinata is half obsessive stalker and half insane bodyguard. It is quite sad, you know… that a girl I only just met treats me better than my entire village, and she is my supposed enemy. I also saw my pain in your own eyes… the loneliness… it hurts, right? Everyone either ignoring you or attempting to kill you? You have a bloodline don't you? Is that why you had to leave Kiri with Zabuza?"

Haku suddenly found the ground interesting. "I… yes. I have the Ice Release kekkai genkai of the Yuki clan. I am the last member, as far as I know. You see… my mother was also Yuki and she held the bloodline herself, but my father, he never even knew. When I was eight… I first discovered my kekkai genkai and showed my kaa-san… and she told me to never do it again. But… I didn't listen." Haku could feel tears gathering in her eyes, but ignored it. "I… instead, I used it in secret and tried to get better, and I did. But someone saw me without my knowing… one of Yagura's avid supporters… my own father. He knew he was just a normal civilian, so he assumed it came from my kaa-san…

"What happened, Haku-chan?" Naruto asked the girl after she stopped talking for a few moments. He could clearly see the tears in her eyes, but knew she needed to tell someone.

"He… he took a knife from the kitchen and asked her about it… my kaa-san loved him, you know. So she admitted it… she admitted she had kept her bloodline limit a secret from him… and so he stabbed her! Seven times! I could only watch in horror as her body was opened repeatedly by the knife… I still see it when I sleep sometimes. And then… he turned to me. I could clearly see the look in his eyes… that look of hatred and contempt… and then he took a step toward me. I… I just reacted out of fear, and I only wanted to make a wall of ice like I had done so often before…

"But… but I didn't. My screams turned into mist… a mist that was just so cold… so cold… it wouldn't affect me… and it didn't affect my mother's corpse either. Because… the Yuki, we have a special body. Our bodies are colder than others, that's why we can produce ice out of nothing, by creating winds that are so cold they freeze water in the air… but tou-san… he wasn't like that. The mist… it froze him solid… into a statue of ice…" Her tears were flowing freely now. "I… don't know what happened next… except that as soon as I touched him… the ice shattered! My tou-san was a thousand shards then… and I couldn't do anything about it!" The brown-eyed kunoichi found herself crying into the shoulder of a boy her age she had only known for a day… and she didn't care. She had been holding it in for years… she needed to cry!

Naruto rubbed Haku's back and stroked her hair, whispering words of comfort to the troubled kunoichi. He knew just how important it was to let out your emotions… if he didn't have Kurama to comfort him throughout his life, who knows what would've happened by now?

She didn't stop crying for over two hours, but the jinchūriki didn't mind one bit and instead simply held her. When she stopped, she didn't move, and he felt he should talk.

"Haku-chan… let me tell you a story of something that happened to me…"

**[Flashback]**

Hyūga Hitomi and Uchiha Mikoto smiled to each other as they watched the trio of Hinata, Naruto and Sasuke playing in one of the fields in the Uchiha compound. A game of hide and seek turned tag that Hinata was winning with her Byakugan.

**"_I still don't quite understand all of what happened to change our relationship… I don't know why everything was destroyed."_**

The scene shifts to the funeral of Hyūga Hitomi, the entire Hyūga clan, Uchiha Sasuke, Uchiha Itachi, Uchiha Mikoto and Uzumaki Naruto all in attendance and dressed in black clothing to mourn her while the infant Hanabi was held by Mikoto.

**"_I don't understand why everyone I love had to leave…"_**

The scene shifts yet again with Naruto, Sasuke and Hinata laughing together as they made their way to the Uchiha compound only to stop dead in their tracks as they saw all of the corpses of Uchiha and all the blood everywhere… the slaughter…

The trio ran inside to go find the mother figure they all loved and did… but she was dead, their nii-san Itachi above the corpses of both his parents, Mangekyō Sharingan spinning as he turned to look at the three coldly. In a second after his uttered pronunciation of **Tsukuyomi **Sasuke dropped to the floor and he disappeared in a shunshin of ravens.

**"_But… I do know one thing, Haku-chan. Even if they are gone, Mikoto-chan… Hitomi-chan… even Itachi-nii-san… even so… I believe that they are still with me. Protecting me… watching over me… I may not understand why they left me… but I know that I will one day see all of them once more."_**

**"_B-but… Naruto… if they're gone forever… don't you feel guilt for not being able to protect them?"_**

**"_Of course I do… but I also can't help but feel proud that they believed in me…"_**

The scene shifts back to Hitomi's funeral where in her will she gives Naruto a scroll that once belonged to Uzumaki Kushina, given to her, and another that details her entire taijutsu style she used as a kunoichi, since she wasn't a Hyūga by blood.

At the reading of Mikoto's will… she gifted to him a scroll as well, one of the sealing variety that contained one of her most prized possessions, a scroll of every wind and fire release jutsu she had copied, proud to pass it on to one of the only ones in Konoha who shared her affinities, a boy as much a son to her as Sasuke and Itachi.

Naruto is sitting in the Forest of Death, wide-eyed as he stares up at a man he never thought to see again… his nii-san. The Uchiha nukenin looks at the blonde and gives a small smile, dropping to him one of the most prized Uchiha scrolls… a summoning contract used by Uchiha Madara himself…

**"_And because they believe in me, Haku-chan… I will fight on in their name. Even if I must be the one that everyone loathes… that everyone wants dead… I will be the one to carry the dreams of my mothers and my older brother. I will be Hitomi-chan's will to find peace for the Hyūga clan… Mikoto-chan's successor to find all of my family and protect them… and Itachi-nii's rival in finding a way to bring the world peace."_**_**"**_

"**_Why are you telling me this, Naruto?"_**

**[Flashback End]**

"Because, Haku-chan… I'm simply telling you to let your precious people live on… in you. Don't become a copy of your mother and father… but share their dreams, in your own special way. Do you understand?"

"I… I think so… thank you, Naruto… Kun."


	2. Chapter II

**Of Snow and Whirlpools**

**Chapter II: Everything Has Changed**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any other element that may appear in this story. I only own my OC's, original clans/jutsu/kekkai genkai, and my storyline.**

Naruto gripped the kunai tightly in his hand as he looked at the scene before him. Bodies strewn over the bridge of bridge workers he had been helping over this last month. Tazuna and Sakura cowering on the side from their fear at the massive Killer Intent released between Kakashi, Zabuza, Haku and Sasuke. Kakashi and Zabuza fighting once more within the mist of Zabuza's signature Hidden Mist Jutsu. Sasuke trapped inside of Haku's Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals. The bridge was a battlefield.

He had just arrived after he awoke from a late sleep because he had been up all night worrying about the events he knew would come today. It was a good thing though as he had stopped two of Gatō's thugs who had attempted to capture Tsunami to use as a hostage. Theirs deaths barely even affected him as Kurama-sensei forced him to kill every night in mindscape training since he met her when he was seven. She was a harsh teacher, and even more brutal while they trained in his mindscape, but the results were all there. And for that, he was grateful.

**_"Aw, you're welcome, Naruto-chan."_** The melodic voice of his redheaded tenant replied to his thoughts.

He sighed as he knew he had to decide now. Haku or Konoha...

On one hand, Konoha had been his home forever and the Hokage was almost like his grandfather. He was also a ninja of the leaf, which meant that if he left that they would hunt him down, not to mention that he was a Jinchūriki.

On the other... Haku was his only true friend. She... he didn't even know how to describe it. Haku-chan had this certain quality to her that made him feel different than with anyone else. She... just by being near him, she made Naruto feel as if he mattered as a person and not as a weapon or as a ninja. Naruto just found himself so used to her presence that... he felt as if this day wouldn't come at all.

It was just so unfair! Every time he had something good... why did he have to lose it?

**_"Calm down, Naruto." _**Kurama's gentle voice soothed. **_"Your anger will release my chakra, and you know it! I know that you can control up to two-tails, but no one else does, so how do you think they would react? Especially the Council?"_**

Inwardly, the blonde nodded to his tenant and calmed himself with a deep breath. **_Thanks, Kurama-sensei. Do you have any advice on what I should do?_**

**_"I thought you'd never ask. You know I hate Konoha with a passion, so I say leave them. Plus Haku-chan is so cute! I want to see my little kit have kits of his own..." _**Naruto failed in trying to keep down his blush. **_"But all I can say is... Do what your heart says. Only you know what the best thing to do is."_**

Another sigh escaped the young jinchuuriki's lips as he slowly made his way down the hill, calmly walking past Tazuna and Sakura, neither of which noticed him, as their eyes were completely on the fight between Kakashi and Zabuza.

Naruto walked straight to the assortment of twenty-one ice mirrors that he knew was Haku's ultimate Ninjutsu. Inside he saw Sasuke breathing hard, Sharingan active, covered in needles all over his body. _He's finally activated it. That dojutsu you wanted so much, you finally have, Sasuke. You're a step closer to gaining the strength you want, but how far will you go to get it, I wonder? Itachi-nii spoke of the Uchiha's Curse of Hatred with distaste, yet he's the very one who forced it upon you. You had it before you even activated the first stage. It's plagued you for years before this day. Now that it's activated, what will be of the boy I once called brother? He'll well and truly do anything to kill Itachi-nii, but once that is over, will he still be the Sasuke I once knew?_

One more needle to Sasuke's neck and he crumpled into what Naruto knew was a coma-like state, one of the things Haku had admitted she could do. He would be absolutely fine.

She was in her mirrors... Naruto could sense the exact one by her chakra. She was in the very top one, but she was looking directly at Sasuke and seemed not to notice him. "I am sorry that I had to do that, Uchiha-san. Naruto had wished to turn you back to how you once were... but I have seen those eyes before... that look behind the Sharingan you wielded. You will do anything to attain power..."

"Haku-chan..." The girl suddenly went rigid and looked around from her top mirror and gasped as soon as Naruto stepped within the jutsu. "You are right... my brother is like that. He has had the Uchiha clan's Curse of Hatred for a long time. He will do anything to get vengeance on nii-san. I will not allow that... but I can't kill him either... it is not in me. I still see him as my brother and I would sooner kill myself than slay my family..."

Haku stepped from her mirror and landed in front of Naruto. She took off her hunter-nin mask and looked into the blue eyes she had grown to love so much for the support... the eyes that had pain identical to hers... the eyes that shone every time he gave that smile that made her heart skip a beat...

"Naruto-kun... please..." She almost begged him. Both knew what she was talking about. She wanted Naruto to come with her and Zabuza and to leave Konoha.

"Haku..." her heart sunk more than she thought possible at his omitting of the -chan suffix she was so used to. "I don't have an answer for you..." he turned his head away, a frown on his lips. "I... want to. I want to go with you and Zabuza... I really do. But... I don't want you in danger. If I leave... then Konoha will chase after me. They will come after me until I'm either caught or killed... and they'll either go through you or use you as a hostage to get to me. How could I ever do that and live with myself? How could I ever put my last precious person in danger and be so selfish?"

"N-Naruto-kun..." Haku had her hand over her mouth and a tear in her eye before she wrapped her arms around him, hugging him from behind. "Please come with me. I will protect you from Konoha... I will become stronger than even their Hokage if it means you'll be by my side. And if you leave my side... I will always be empty inside... Zabuza is my master, and I love him as such... but Naruto... you are also my precious person... please don't leave my side..." Her tears had begun to leak into his shirt, and the blonde's own tears gathered in his eyes, threatening to spill.

His strength was fading... he knew he would give in. **_Why am I causing her so much pain? How could I do such a thing...? Not to Haku-chan! She is my most precious person... the only one I have left..._**

Naruto turned around and looked Haku in the eyes. He was just about to speak when suddenly, the sound of chirping birds filled the air and both of their eyes widened. In an instant, Haku had disappeared and Naruto was right behind her.

**[With the Jōnin, moments before]**

Kakashi smirked under his mask as his dog summons had bitten and trapped Zabuza, rendering him completely immobile. He performed quick handseals. "This is the end for you, Zabuza. **Lightning Blade!" **His hand was surrounded by visible lightning chakra and he rushed straight for the missing-nin, knowing there was no way he could dodge the technique as his speed increased.

Kakashi felt his hand pierce through flesh, but his eyes widened, seeing it was not Zabuza, but the hunter-nin who he had stabbed. A girl who was probably only fourteen. He pulled his hand out of her and right before she fell, his blonde student materialized, catching her before she fell, laying her head in his lap.

Naruto's tears fell freely now as he laid his eyes upon Haku, injured and very likely to die. "H-Haku... no..."

Her chocolate brown eyes glimmered as she looked up at the blonde, tears of her own flowing. "N-Naruto-kun... I-I'm sorry... I had too... I... I am still ju-just Zabuza's tool."

"No! Haku-chan... why! I was going to say yes... I was going to go!" The pale girl smiled up at the blonde.

"I... Gomenesai... Naruto... kun..." Her breathing was short as she coughed up some blood. "Please... please don't leave my... my side..." Naruto nodded shakily.

"N-never..."__**_Kami... why? Why do I always have to lose my precious people? Why do all of them die! Kami... just let me save Haku-chan! I just want to save her... please... She's all I have left anymore..._**

Kurama sighed and felt very guilty as she continued to hear her student's pleas and prayers... she knew a way... but it was so risky... **"Naruto... I can help. I can give you a way to heal Haku... you can save her. But it will change you forever."**

**_Just tell me! I don't care! Just let me heal Haku-chan!_**He demanded by thought, knowing Kyu could hear him loud and clear. He could clearly hear Kurama's sigh and felt her nod.

**"You have to give me control of your body and you'll need to use two tails of my chakra... and they won't regenerate for a long time."**

**_Done. Just do it!_**

Naruto's eyes suddenly turned a deep crimson with slit pupils and around his body, a cloak of bubbling, red chakra in the rough shape of a fox with two tails surrounded him. One tail was pressed to Haku's forehead, and the other was against her stomach as Kyu made many handseals using Naruto's body. Hundreds of handseals over the space of mere seconds, her power was increased with all the bandits Zabuza and Kakashi were killing, the fear fueling her chakra to be more potent. Finally, she growled out in Naruto's voice **"Hell Style: Nine Hells Healing!"**

**"First Ring: Thievery!" **Kurama's hands were in the Snake Seal and Haku's body suddenly stilled.

**"Second Ring: Time!" **Haku's body calmed down and her eyes were opened and dull, before gaining a light of life to them.

**"Third Ring: Loss!" **Her hands formed the Ram Seal and she made a chakra pulse that caused Haku to convulse.

**"Fourth Ring: Punishment!" **Nothing seemed to happen on the outside during this stage except for tears falling from both Haku's and Naruto's eyes.

**"Fifth Ring: Conversion!" **The tail on her forehead glowed bright, bright red and both Naruto and Haku's hair changed. His hair became bright red with a single, streak of obsidian running through his bangs while Haku's black hair gained a streak of that same red through her own bangs.

**"Sixth Ring: Acolyte!" **The tail on Haku's stomach glowed bright, bright red and the two shinobi's skin tone met in the middle of ivory and tan, becoming identical.

**"Seventh Ring: Fate!" **Both tails darkened to a deep black and Haku's eyes became a very dark blue, as did Naruto's, or they would after Kurama relinquished control.

**"Eighth Ring: Death!" **Suddenly... the tails thinned out and began to be absorbed into Haku until they completely disappeared.

**"Ninth Ring: Reincarnation!" **Kurama relinquished control back to Naruto as the healing was complete and Haku could be seen breathing normally, though she was asleep. The former blonde jinchūriki gasped for air and looked around him before his eyes landed on Haku.

**_Is she healed completely Kurama?_**Naruto thought to his tenant.

"**Yes..." **her breathing was shallow and it showed how tiring it was. **"She is completely healed... but I warned you, that you would be changed. Be prepared for exactly what that entails..."**

The Uzumaki was suddenly assaulted with images in his mind and held his head in pain.

**_The day was full of snow, falling gracefully all over a place Haku instinctively knew was called Kirigakure... her home. She was excited today, because she could show her kaa-san her new ice powers!_**

**_She had already told her two weeks ago not to do it... but she just thought that Haku couldn't control it, the seven year old girl knew it! So she practiced where no one could see, and she had made her mother a rabbit of ice! It was so adorable and Haku knew kaa-san would love it..._**

**_So she carried the sculpture with her and opened the door to her house. "Kaa-san!" She called out in a melodious voice. She received no answer, so she walked around the house, looking in each room._**

**_"Kaa-san! Where are you?" She called again and finally came to her parent's room. She had to be in there! Smiling to herself, Haku opened the door and what she saw caused her to drop her ice sculpture, where it shattered into one thousand needles._**

**_Her mother was drenched in blood, her father over her corpse with the bloody knife in his hands, stabbing her three more times before he looked over at Haku with eyes filled with homicidal madness._**

**_"Haku-chan... did you make that? You made that ice, didn't you?" He got up and took a step toward the little girl, who nodded nervously. His grin was purely insane. "Ice... You have a Kekkai Genkai... I can't believe I had a demon spawn with a Kekkai Genkai slut! But I'll fix my mistake... I surely will... Come here Haku-chan... Help me fix my mistake._**

**_"Y-you're scaring me tou-san!" She backed up out of the room as he followed her, knife held in his hand. Suddenly, he ran forward, and Haku ran as well, away from the man who was her father... the one who killed her kaa-san._**

**_"Leave me alone!" She screamed as she found herself up against a corner, her father pointing the still bloody knife at her, slowly approaching her... agonizingly slowly._**

**_"Just stay right there Haku..." He said and suddenly lunged for her._**

**_Haku screamed, waiting for the pain... but it never came. She slowly opened the eyes she had shut and gasped, tears already forming in her eyes. Her father was frozen as an ice sculpture, still in mid-lunge..._**

**_Her tears then flowed freely. "TOU-SAN!" She fell to her knees and continued to sob as she realized what she had done. She had killed her own father..._**

**_Was that..._**

**"Haku's memory? Yes. It is one of the effects of the healing... I am much too tired to explain it now. You must wait for me to awaken, Naruto-kun... for now... protect Haku... her life is in your hands just as much as yours is in hers now...**

And with that, he felt Kurama pass out within his mindscape.

Naruto sighed and shakily got to his feet as he could feel that over three-quarters of his insane chakra reserves were gone. He looked around the scene before him and steeled himself as he noticed that the bridge was strewn with bodies of workers and bandits, as well as what appeared to be... **_Zabuza!_**

The jinchūriki looked down at Haku and nodded to himself as he seallessly created a Shadow Clone to watch over Haku as he slowly walked to the missing-nin who appeared to be almost dead. Naruto knelt beside him.

"Zabuza..." The swordsman looked over to him and coughed blood from his now uncovered mouth.

"Gaki... I heard you... too bad both Haku and I died... looks like you have to suffer a little longer..."

"Haku's not dead Zabuza..." The Jōnin-level nin's eyes widened. "I healed her... but I don't have enough chakra to do it again..." Zabuza nodded and coughed once again.

"Well... looks like my dream... won't come true... after all. But at least... one of them... can." Naruto looked at him with complete attention as he coughed again. "You... take care of... Haku... she's like... my own daughter... and also..." He paused to catch his breath. "Take care of my sword..." Naruto's eyes widened.

"Nani?"

"Take my... blade... there are... scrolls on... how to... use it... at... my base... there... are things... that only... an Uzumaki can... do with... the Swords... of the Mist... I want you... to become the... new Kirigakure no Kijin... take my blade... and don't let anyone... take it from you... Take my scrolls... in the base... and use them... learn them... do not let anyone keep... you or Haku... from your dreams..." Naruto nodded once.

"I... Hai, Zabuza. I will."

"Good..." He breathed in one last time before he looked at Naruto. "One more thing... my bounty is rather large... use it... that much... ryou will... come in handy... for two... kids on the... run."

"Arigatō, Zabuza..." Naruto said and nodded once more, a tear falling from his eye at how generous Zabuza was being for him and Haku.

"Tell Haku... she made me... proud..." Shakily, Zabuza took one final breath and his eyes dulled until no life was left in them.

Naruto stood and looked over to where he felt Kakashi's signature, seeing him and Sakura over the Uchiha, Naruto scowled. **_They don't even bother with me... don't care what happens to me... I made the right choice._**

Without another thought, Naruto made another Shadow Clone who quickly sealed Zabuza's body in a scroll while Naruto himself grabbed Kubikiribōcho and mentally ordered his other clone to bring Haku to him. He strapped the blade to his back, placed the scroll in his trench coat, and picked up Haku bridal style.

"Pretend to be me and once a day create a new Shadow Clone to take your place before dispelling. That should give me at least a few days head start. Go." The first Kage Bunshin nodded while the original dispelled the second and disappeared in a swirl of wind to where he knew Zabuza's base was because of Haku's memories.

He was free from Konoha. But his journey had just begun. He would have to fight to keep Haku safe from Konoha.

But he would fight to his last breath to keep his promise to Haku. **_I will never leave your side Haku-chan... I promised. And an Uzumaki never goes back on their word!_**

**[Zabuza's Hideout]**

Two miles to the north of the village of Nami sat a steel warehouse, two stories in height with the only windows being those on the second floor, the only light source into the large building. And large it was, big enough to count as a medium-sized clan compound in Konoha. It was more of a house than a storage facility, especially once it had been found by Zabuza.

In the front, a set of large doors sat, they would open inwards and if they were the daylight would reveal quite the scene. The walls were lined and packed... the east and west walls contained shelves that held weapons and scrolls, books and tools, all manner of objects that Momochi Zabuza and his companion Yuki Haku had collected on their many missions. The south wall was where the doors were located, but on either side of the entrance were more scrolls, these ones containing food rations that were kept fresh by more expensive variants of storage scrolls that kept the objects in a state of stasis. The northern side of the building had been transformed into a large bedroom with walls around it and all where two beds lay, only one of which was occupied.

The last remaining Yuki lay in bed, still asleep from her Healing roughly forty-eight hours ago. Her red-streaked hair was tied in twin tails on either side of her fair-skinned face. She was still dressed in her hunter-nin uniform that had a large, fist-sized hole just above and to the left of where her heart should be. Her feet were bare and the sandals that used to be there were on the floor at the foot of her bed.

To her right in a chair sat a worried-looking boy, the last living Uzumaki. His hair was set in spikes of gold, with two crimson bangs framing his face and falling past his shoulders in the back. He wore a black shirt and ANBU pants, black fingerless gloves with steel plating and a black trench coat, as well as a large blade sat next to him. His eyes were a dark, dark blue and on each cheek were three whisker-like birth marks. Just two days ago he had looked only twelve... but now he had the appearance of a boy almost fifteen. Just one more side-effect of Haku's Healing, he supposed.

Naruto kept his eyes on Haku, face scrunched up in worry and concentration, as if he could wake her just by focusing on that desire. Every so often she would shift in her sleep or mumble something incoherent. A sigh escaped his lips and he placed Kubikiribōcho in his lap, letting his fingers glide along the flat of the blade... over the intricate seals he had discovered on it roughly six hours ago. Many of them were beyond his comprehension... much beyond what he currently knew, until he could learn more from his scrolls. But there were a few he understood.

There was a reparation seal over the whole thing that used iron as a catalyst, that was the blade's legendary ability to mend itself with blood. There was also some sort of strange combination of a storage, explosive, and barrier seal that he didn't understand. A gravity seal that allowed chakra to change the weight of the blade instantly. And the last one he recognized was a seal that almost like an array for... a space-time seal... but it was much too complicated for Naruto to figure out at this point. Besides that, there were dozens more seals on it that were foreign to the young Uzumaki.

_Perhaps Kurama-sensei will recognize them? Otherwise... I'll have to hope that they're in one of my scrolls. Hokage-jiji had some understanding of Fuinjutsu, so perhaps his or more likely... kaa-san's will.____Speaking of scrolls... I should probably go and make sure I gather all of Zabuza's in case we need to leave quickly. With all of these things though... I may need to write up a new storage scroll to get everything._

**"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" **Naruto created a single clone of himself. "Henge into a civilian and I need you to go and find a shop that is selling scrolls and ink... probably will be in a general store. I have enough on me to make my own storage scroll, but I'm going to need a good reserve for later, if Haku and I are going to be on the road."

"Hai, Naruto-sama. I will need some money..." The former-blonde nodded and grabbed his wallet before tossing it straight to the clone. "Arigatō. I will return as soon as possible." With that, the clone disappeared in a swirl of wind to Nami.

That was another strange thing about the Healing... his clones seemed to mature after Haku had been Healed... strange...

He shook his head and removed himself from the chair and sat on the floor as he took out one of his scrolls. It was his personal storage scroll, able to hold all sorts of things. A creation of his own, it had a specialized storage scroll that could only hold other scrolls and was protected by blood and chakra seals that meant only he could open and get anything out of them.

He set it on the floor and unraveled it just a little, as it could extend for dozens of feet until its end, and found the kanji for 'supplies' before sending chakra into it and another scroll popped out. He unsealed the contents of this one and out popped an empty scroll, three bottles of ink and a brush. Just what he needed.

Wordlessly, the Uzumaki unrolled the empty scroll and began to form brushstrokes to start the array for a new storage seal crossed with a spacial distorting seal, allowing the scroll to hold at least twenty times as much as a normal scroll this size, enough to hold everything in this storage and then some.

He began the long process of creating the scroll... one that would take at least half an hour if not more.

[**Tazuna's House, Naruto's Room]**

Naruto's decoy Shadow Clone sat in his room, silently meditating and molding chakra simultaneously. Anyone that entered the room might gasp at the scene; the sight of the blonde balancing on four kunai, each with point up. Chakra had to be used just right, else the kunai would plunge into the clone and dispel him.

The Shadow Clone itself was not unprepared, since Naruto had used just a little bit of Kurama-sensei's chakra so that the clone could take a mortal wound before being destroyed. It also was under a Solid Henge so that he looked exactly as Team Seven remembered him.

There was a knock on the door and the Naruto clone opened its eyes and looked at it, feeling that the chakra belonged to Tsunami. "You may enter, Tsunami." He said coolly. The woman opened the door, a plate of food in her hands.

"You weren't there for dinner, Naruto-kun... so I brought it to you." She set it on the floor in front of him and sat on the bed, looking at him quizzically. "What are you doing?"

The blonde smiled and kept his hands in their Ram Seal so as to keep his chakra formed the way he needed. "This is an exercise that one of my sensei, a woman named Mitarashi Anko, taught me to control my chakra. It is very productive. See, by using chakra, I can keep balance on all four of these kunai simultaneously, but one wrong flow of that energy... and one of them will stab me. She actually can do this on only one for an indefinite amount of time, only getting up when she wants to."

Tsunami frowned. "That looks extremely dangerous. You shinobi are such risk-takers... But the real reason I came up here, Naruto... are you feeling quite alright?"

The blonde sighed. "The truth? It's my team... they've never much gotten along with me... and now... I realized they don't care at all. Did you know that after the fight at the bridge, not a single one tried to find out if I was okay? I was uninjured... but still. They fawned over Sasuke... and Sakura offered Kakashi to mend his wounds with her limited medical knowledge... but me? Not even a 'Naruto, how are you feeling after watching Kakashi kill your only friend in the whole world?' from a single one..."

Tsunami gasped. "He... what do you mean?" The clone sighed.

"Well you see... Zabuza wasn't alone in working for Gatō. There were the Demon Brothers that worked for him, but we sent them off to Konoha for interrogation. But he had an apprentice that dressed as a hunter-nin... her name was Haku. I met her one day in the forest and we started to get to know each other after some things happened... I realized that she was so much like me. And we quickly became friends... but then... at the battle, Kakashi tried to kill Zabuza, but Haku took the blow for him, a lethal blow."

Tsunami got up and suddenly pulled Naruto off the kunai and into a hug. "Well, I'll ask you. Do you want to talk about it, Naruto-kun?" She whispered in his ear as she continued to hug him as only a mother knows how to hug a grieving child...

Even if he was just a clone... he shed a tear. "I... I would like that, Tsunami-chan..." He whispered back.

[**Nami no Sato]**

Meanwhile, the other Naruto clone made his way through town in his own Solid Henge. He took the form of a man in his mid-twenties in the clothes of a civilian.

He had already been to a few shops and had to say... things were strange. It seemed that the only thing shops were short on was food. They had just about everything else, it was just that not many people would buy it once they used all their money to buy food, since prices had been insanely high under Gatō's reign.

He already had hit two shops and bought all of their paper, brushes and ink, but the wallet was still pretty full. It was amazing how smart his boss was. All of those D-rank's Kakashi sent them on really paid off, especially when Naruto could use the Henge to buy things from shops at regular price, then he could save up all of his money, as well as the monthly stipend he got from being an orphan.

Who knew that such an amount of money could be made in the year and a half that Naruto had known the Henge no Jutsu?

Regardless, he entered another shop, intent on browsing their wares when he caught notice of Sakura, Kakashi and Sasuke in the same place. Curious, he entered and stayed to the side, acting as if he was looking at the assortment of shuriken and kunai, since he was in the sole shinobi shop of Nami, the other two had been shops that sold only scrolls.

"Sensei, what do you mean?" Sakura asked of the masked Jōnin.

"Simple, Sakura. It seems as if Naruto has drastically changed since the battle. Have you not noticed it?" He turned the page of his ever-present orange book. "He stays in his room all the time, never leaving. Inari had to bring him dinner last night, and I think Tsunami brought it to him after dinner tonight. I'm not sure what happened to him though..."

"Tch... the dobe is probably just being an idiot, as usual."

"Sasuke-kun's right!" Sakura screeched. "Naruto is just a big baka!"

The clone growled to himself, but restrained his next move, instead leaving the shop and heading back to the base. **Boss is going to want to know this. But I can't just dispel with these supplies, so I need to get there first and give them to him and then dispel so he gets the memories. He made the right choice... the team doesn't even care, it looks like. Kakashi is at least pseudo-concerned, but his book is more important, it seems. Sasuke and Sakura... it seems that Sasuke's arrogance has only increased since he got the Sharingan, and Sakura's the same fangirl as always. Though... I know the boss wishes he could see what Hinata does to them if she ever heard them talk like that...**

The clone eventually exited Nami no Sato and jumped through the trees to the warehouse, heading directly for his creator so that he could let him know what he heard.

[**Warehouse, Later]**

Naruto grinned to himself as he eyed the scroll in satisfaction. _It's finished. A great job, if I say so myself, and I do._He had just finished his storage scroll and stood up, making a familiar cross-handseal and gathering chakra to perform one of his most useful techniques... but he heard a soft voice call out to him.

"Na-ru-to-kun...?" Immediately, he let go of his chakra and was at Haku's side at a speed that would make the Yellow Flash green with envy. He saw that her chocolate brown eyes had turned the same color as his own, a very dark, dark blue that shone like the sea. The jinchūriki smiled softly to her.

"I'm here, Haku-chan." The girl smiled shakily back to him, reaching out and taking his hand in her own so that she could make sure he was real.

"Wh-where are we?" She asked groggily, still weak from being brought back to life.

"We're in the base two miles north of Nami no Sato. Zabuza told me that we would be safe here... before he..." Haku's eyes suddenly widened and she looked around the room before her eyes fell upon the cleaver-like blade of Kubikiribōchoand gasped.

"Zabuza-sama... I couldn't save him..." Naruto saw tears gathering in her large eyes, and his heart clenched in pain, hating to see her cry. So he acted on instinct.

The boy lightly touched Haku's cheek and she looked at him, saw his soft smile to her. "He did die... but his last words to me Haku, as he lay dying after killing all of the bandits of Gatō's, was that he was proud of his daughter, proud of you, Haku-chan."

"N-nani?" She asked in disbelief.

"Zabuza... as he was bleeding to death told me that he had always thought of you as his daughter, that you made him very proud." Haku's tears finally spilt and she quietly sobbed, so Naruto wrapped her in a hug.

Haku immediately latched onto her last precious person, crying into his shoulder and soaking his shirt. He gently rubbed her back with one hand and stroked her hair softly with the other. "I'm here for you, Haku-chan. Cry all that you need to, I promised I would always be by your side... and I will never break that promise." Haku nodded into his shirt and wrapped her arms around his neck as she continued to let her pain out through tears, a process that would take hours to do.

[**Tazuna's House, Naruto's Room]**

"How... how can you even be sane, Naruto-kun?" Tsunami asked as tears were leaving her eyes at the story the blonde clone had just told her.

"I'm not sure, Tsunami-chan..." the clone admitted. "After I lost both of my mother figures and my older brother... I'm not sure anyone would be okay. I've never been completely whole... but I realized something after Kakashi struck Haku-chan with that Raikiri..."

"Before or after the Healing?" Tsunami asked, having already heard everything. She even knew she was talking to a clone.

"Boss knew that he was going to probably leave Konoha before the battle... but after he saw that Kakashi went right for Sasuke to check on him instead of even noticing Boss... then he knew he was going to leave. I'm only telling you Tsunami-chan... it's because the Boss trusts you implicitly. You can't tell any of the Konoha nin and Boss wants you to tell Nami all of this after the Konoha nin leave tonight. If you don't... Tazuna might make the mistake of forming trade agreements and alliances with Konoha on Nami's behalf. Can we trust you?"

The woman bit her lip in thought before nodding. "Of course you can. You saved Inari-kun and I from those bandits, and of the Konoha shinobi, you've been the only one that anyone in this house likes. I will do this for you," She leaned forward and kissed the clone's cheek. "Naruto-otōto."

[**Later that night, Tazuna's Bridge]**

Team 7 stood on the bridge with Tazuna, Tsunami, and Inari by Naruto and all of Nami gathered to look at them. "We really must thank you once more for helping us, Kakashi, Sakura, Sasuke and Naruto." Tazuna spoke while holding his ever present sake bottle. "Without you... I don't think we could ever have beaten Gatō."

The blonde of the group smiled wide. "Of course, Tazuna! You guys were in need, so I had to help." Tazuna matched his grin, a contagious smile that soon spread across the population of Nami.

"It was nothing, Tazuna-san." Kakashi said lazily while still reading his Icha-Icha. "Really nothing at all."

"Hn..." was Sasuke's response and Sakura sighed dreamily at 'Sasuke-kun's coolness'.

"We must be going now, though." Kakashi said with an eye-smile and disappeared in a burst of speed down the bridge, followed by his two students and a clone.

Tazuna suddenly facepalmed. "We haven't even named the bridge yet!" People in the crowd started to yell out suggestions until Tsunami smiled to herself and gave her own.

"How about... the Great Naruto Bridge?" And that was the name that stuck.

[**The Base]**

The real Uzumaki Naruto sighed to himself as he got the memories of the last of his clones who were gathering all of the items in the warehouse after it dropped the scroll next to him. In the end... there were many different scrolls. Zabuza had been a missing-nin doing missions for fifteen years, nine of which had been with Haku. He had gathered quite a collection.

Hundreds of weapons and thousands of ninja tools.

Hundred of scrolls, half of which were jutsu and the other half were information.

Over two dozen bounties that he hadn't collected yet stored in scrolls.

Six months worth of food.

Tens of thousand of ryō.

Locations of other missing-nin's bases.

Heck... they even had some books and weapons from the Western Lands... quite an accomplishment.

The jinchūriki shook his thoughts away and smiled to himself as he felt Haku shift slightly in his arms where she had fallen asleep. Her face was still buried in the crook of his neck and she was curled up in his lap, arms squeezing tightly around his neck as her warm breath tickled him each time she exhaled.

Her hair fell around her face just right to frame her face perfectly and her entire form, all her curves, were pressed tightly against him as he held her protectively with his arms around her waist. _What is this strange feeling I get around her? Haku... she makes me feel so warm, even when her body is freezing... she makes me feel complete... fills in the emptiness that Miko-chan, Tomi-chan and Itachi-nii-san left when I lost them... she... I can't explain it. I don't ever want to see her cry... to see her in pain... this is a strange feeling... but... is it good or bad?_

Naruto was so damn confused!

This was the first time something like this had ever happened to him... he had never had his emptiness leave just from being around someone... he had never had his heart speed up just from looking at someone... he had never felt complete just from being near a person...

Could this be... no. There was no way he was in love... He would know if he was, wouldn't he? Weren't so many of those stories he'd read or heard of about love? He should be able to identify it immediately. _I mean… she is pretty, and smart, and patient. She listens to me and cares for me, but she's not obsessive like Hinata. She doesn't try and hit me like Sakura and she's not obsessed with her image like Ino. _

"R-really, Naruto-kun?" The former blonde heard Haku speak and looked into her wide eyes, her head still laying on his shoulder. "Y-you... you really think I'm pretty?"

"N-nani?" He asked nervously. "I... I didn't say anything..."

"But... you just were talking about... lots of things. Like... how I was pretty and how I completed you..." She looked down sadly and he heard her voice "Maybe... maybe I'm not good enough for him..."

"Don't say that!" He scolded her. Haku looked up at him in surprise at the tone in his voice. "Don't ever say that you're not good enough for me!"

"But... I didn't..." she frowned. "I thought it..."

"You... what?" Naruto's eyes widened and then suddenly he felt a tug on his gut that was familiar to him and suddenly lost consciousness.

[**Mindscape]**

Naruto found himself pulled to the familiar scene of a large field with flowers and animals everywhere, a hunting grounds for Kurama while she was in here. In the center of the field sat a large hill with a single oak tree above it, and in the shadow of the tree sat the form of Kurama.

"Where are we?" Naruto turned quickly and noticed that somehow... Haku had come into his mindscape! And not only that...

"This could present complications..." Naruto mumbled as he noticed the pair of fox ears and two fox tails that Haku had. Within the mindscape, certain things were shown about the people inside, such as that Naruto always had fox ears himself inside and...

He turned his head and counted his own fox tails, smiling that he still had all four.

"Haku-chan, we are inside my mind. It is called a mindscape, and it is the place where all my memories are located, as well as Kurama-sensei." Haku nodded and Naruto could only guess that she had seen his memories after the Healing just as he had seen hers.

So he led her up the hill and the two sat in front of Kurama, who Naruto noted only had three tails instead of the five she had kept after the deal they made years ago.

"Kurama... just what happened when you Healed Haku?"

The redheaded woman sighed and her student noticed how tired she sounded. "The Healing of Nine Hells... it is a risky endeavor... a Kinjutsu of the highest degree to demons. Each of the Rings of Hell that it uses to heal perform different things to both the Healer and the Healed. The Rings are those of Thievery, Time, Loss, Punishment, Conversion, Acolyte, Fate, Death, and Reincarnation."

"Yeah... but what do they do?" Naruto asked curiously.

"Well... in order... the First Ring of Thievery took the last of Haku's life force, the Second Ring of Time added what she had left to your own, and the Third Ring of Loss gave her enough time to live to finish the Healing. Those are the Rings of Life. The Fourth Ring of Punishment forced you two to see every memory the other possessed, sharing all your innermost secrets with each other, that is the Cursed Ring. The Fifth Ring of Conversion, the Sixth Ring of Acolyte, the Seventh Ring of Fate, and the Eighth Ring of Death are the Rings of Bonding and each does something different. Conversion creates a bond between the DNA of all involved, allowing them to share Kekkai Genkai and other DNA-related attributes. . Acolyte... it creates a mindlink not unlike the one we share, Naruto-kun, where both can hear each other's thoughts and communicate by that method. Fate forces the two to share a chakra pool that is the sum of each one's chakra reserves. Death makes it so that the Healer and the Healed will all share one lifespan and if one dies before they are naturally supposed to... then so will the other. And finally the Ring of Reincarnation completes the Healing and makes it irreversible. As you can tell, I used my own tails of chakra, and now... Haku has her own pool of Yōkai as well."

During the explanation, Haku and Naruto had begun to widen their eyes and finally...

"So... that means that Haku and I... we are bound for life and our lives are in each other's hands?"

"I told you everything would change, Naruto-kun. And I told you just as much right after the Healing completed." She smiled weakly. "I will be stuck in here for a few more days yet, Naruto-kun. So until then... why don't the two of you go back to the real world and get to know each other?"

And with that, she forced the two back to the base and into their previous positions looking exactly as they had before, save for a missing set of fox ears and tails that didn't show up except in the mindscape. She did smile to herself though.

"Soon... soon my kit and his vixen will figure it out... and then maybe I'll be able to spoil and play with his kits!" She grinned. "Just one step at a time..."

[**Konoha, Hokage's Office]**

"And then Zabuza bled to death after killing the bandits." Kakashi just finished giving the mission report to the smiling Hokage, who puffed on his pipe once more.

"Very well... if there is nothing else then you may go..." He looked surprised as his surrogate grandson stepped forward, a grin on his face that anyone recognized he would wear before doing something mischievous.

"I have one thing to say, Hokage-sama..." Hiruzen paid absolute attention to the blonde now, noting that he said Hokage-sama instead of jiji. "I have reached my boiling point... I am fed up with all that has happened thus far. I am tired of the civilians abusing me both physically and psychologically... of shops overcharging me for rotten food... of the Council trying to get me executed, locked up, or removed from the ninja program constantly... of me being denied the heritage of my kaa-san... of me being denied the identity of my tou-san... of constantly being sabotaged in my Academy days... of all the adults in this Kami-forsaken village blaming me for the Kyūbi's crimes... of being seen as a demon... of having to run for my life every year on my own birthday for fear of beatings and stabbing... of having to keep a Kage Bunshin watch over me as I sleep... of having to make sure my food and water isn't poisoned... of all of the crap Konoha puts me through!" So the blonde tore off his Konoha hitai-ite, the real one that the original had given him for just this moment, and threw it at the Hokage before taking out a kunai and stabbing himself, causing him to burst into a puff of smoke. Kakashi, Hiruzen and the ANBU could only stare where it once was silently.


	3. Chapter III

**Of Snow and Whirlpools**

**Chapter III: A Missing Nin and a Hunter Nin**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any other elements that may appear in this fanfiction. I only own my OC's, original Kekkai Genkai/clans/jutsu/weapons and the plot.**

"I call this Council Meeting to order!" Sarutobi Hiruzen, Sandaime Hokage of Konohagakure no Sato, spoke firmly as the pipe in his mouth had smoke rising from it. He wore the traditional Hokage robes, the office's hat atop his head.

The Shinobi Council was made up of all the major clans' heads. Hiashi from the Hyūga, Tsume from the Inuzuka, Shikaku of the Nara, Inoichi of the Yamanaka, Chōza of the Akimichi, and Shibi of the Aburame. The Uchiha was unrepresented, as Sasuke was not a clan head until he was of Chūnin rank or higher. Four other minor clan heads that were on the verge of becoming on par with these major ones were in attendance, as well.

The Kurama Clan was represented by Yakumo, who had a half-smile on her face that promised pain... after Naruto had helped her absorb Id, her alternate personality, she had become cruel and unforgiving of any who got in her clan's or her savior's way.

The Fenikkusu Clan, a clan that held the Kekkai Genkai for both Phoenix Fire, a white and gold flame that burned longer and was molded easier than regular fire, and Blaze Release, an advanced nature Kekkai Genkai that combined Fire and Yin to create black flames that were completely controlled and shaped by the user's will. They were headed by a woman named Furea. Furea had bright red and gold hair that reached her waist in a braided ponytail, orange eyes, tanned skin, and she wore a battle kimono of bright red with golden trimming that had the Fenikkusu Clan Crest on the back: A large golden flame surrounded by a black circle that represented ashes.

The Hebi were a clan with a strange bloodline... they could ingest any poison as if it was food and water and they could recreate any poison they had ingested using only their chakra. Their most famous member was also their greatest embarrassment, Hebi Orochimaru. The Sannin had been cast out of the clan immediately upon learning of his experiments. On his leaving the clan, Orochimaru had taken one of the Clan Contracts, the Snake Contract. The current head was Hebi Shin, a man just of thirty who looked like his uncle, the nukenin Orochimaru. He wore the traditional battle uniform of his clan, the exact clothing that Orochimaru had become known for, with the exception that his rope was a dark, forest green.

Lastly were the Yabun clan, who held the third and least known of Konoha's dōjutsu. The Kurogan**was** its name though the clan itself was secretive of anything other than that. The only thing anyone outside the clan knew was that the Yabun at one time had been part of the Nara but all those who held the Kekkai Genkai split off decades ago to form their own clan of ninja with control over the shadows. The current head was Yabun Kurotsuki, a woman with black hair set in spikes, green eyes with black specks that floated in her sclera and she wore a battle kimono of the deepest black without any other design on it, a tanto at her waist.

"Hokage-sama... what is the purpose of this troublesome meeting?" Shikaku asked tiredly.

The old man sighed and pulled out his pipe before puffing out a ring of smoke. "I have grave news brought to me by Genin Team 7... I have already sent a messenger pigeon to the head of the Sarutobi clan, Asuma, my son, and Kakashi refuses to come and perform his duties as Hatake clan head here because of guilt and grief. We have a new missing-nin to add to the Bingo Books... Uzumaki Naruto."

The air suddenly became tense, and Hiashi's glare seemed to make the room colder. "What do you mean... _Hokage-sama_?" He asked icily. "Naruto has been under the protection of my clan for the longest time, you know that... why has he been declared a nukenin?" The tone he used made many in the room shiver.

"Hiashi-kun... Naruto-kun has run away on the last mission he was on. While the official report is confidential, as all mission reports are, I can tell you this. Naruto sent a reinforced Kage Bunshin to Konoha to take his place and keep his team from becoming suspicious after they left Nami. It is unknown when he left, or even when he decided to, unknown where his destination is, and unknown where he is right now. He has... outwitted us. I am unhappy myself, as the Sarutobi Clan has always held Naruto under their protection, just as long as the Hyūga have."

Yakumo spoke up here. Though she was the youngest of anyone, at only fourteen, she held a certain weight thanks to her already nearly S-rank status because of her devastating Kekkai Genkai. "What will the Bingo Book entry say about Naruto-kun, Hokage-sama?" She asked. "The Kurama Clan will not stand for the death of my great friend and savior." Her tone was icy as well, and it held an underlying hint of... homicidal psychopathy.

"Yakumo-chan... I know your reservations on this matter... but I have already taken into account the tender subject that Naruto is among the clans..." He took a look at the paper on his desk. "The entry I will have entered in this year's Bingo Books that release in two months is this: 'Uzumaki Naruto, C-rank missing-nin of Konohagakure no Sato and former genin. Description: Naruto has spiky blonde hair and bright blue eyes with three whisker-shaped birthmarks on each cheek and usually wears a black shirt, black ANBU pants, and a black trench coat. Age: 13. Known Affinities: Fire, Wind, Water. Taijutsu: Mid C-rank. Genjutsu: Non-existent but he can detect and dispel illusions. Ninjutsu: Low B-rank. Bukijutsu: Unknown, though he has training in many weapons. Fuinjutsu: At least Level 7. Additional Information: Naruto has very high endurance and chakra reserves, both at least Jōnin if not ANBU level and has had training by some of the most known Jōnin and ANBU in Konoha. He also seems to have inherited the full Uzumaki Kekkai Genkai. Be wary of his combat Fuinjutsu, as if you are caught unawares, he can beat even an ANBU captain with his seal traps. Do not underestimate him for his genin rank. Uzumaki Naruto is to be caught alive and the bounty is 500,000 ryō. If he is killed, the individual(s) responsible is warned that many clans of Konoha will be after their blood."

Yakumo nodded. "That I would be, if anyone could even kill him. I will accept that, Hokage-sama. But be warned..." her voice dropped low and almost became demonic. "I will question my friend when he is returned to the village and if what I hear about the reason he left is sufficient... the Kurama Clan will be leaving Konoha, along with all our assets, funds, scrolls, and the defensive Genjutsu I have put around the village. If Naruto-kun dies, we will do the same. I will not stand for him to be treated the way he has any longer... Do not tempt me, Hokage-sama..." she traced shapes along the sketch pad that sat on her own Council desk with her finger. "I have a dozen drawings ready for any and every situation I might find myself in... are you?"

**[Nami no Sato, Naruto and Haku's Base]**

Four days. That's how long it's been since the Konoha team left. Since Haku finally awakened. Since Kurama revealed the after effects of the **Hell Release: Nine Hells Healing**. Since Haku had begun to teach Naruto and vice-versa. Since Haku had begun to weep and mourn the loss of her father-figure of almost a decade.

And many things can happen in four days.

As soon as they had been ousted from the mindscape by Kurama, Haku and Naruto had been silent for a bit. Finally... the conversation had begun.

**"Naruto-kun... Arigatō... I haven't thanked you yet. You saved my life... and then you ran away from your home, just to protect me and keep your promise to stay at my side."**

**The blonde smiled.********"It's no big deal, Haku-chan. I know you would do the exact same thing, right?" He paused.********"You've... seen all of my memories then? You know all about Kurama and about why I had to leave Konoha?"**

**She nodded.********"I do..."********then she suddenly became serious. "But I know you aren't Kurama. Just because she was sealed in you at birth... that doesn't make you a demon. You aren't evil, Naruto-kun... I've seen your whole life, so I know. You just... you just want what's best for your precious people. I know that. Your pain... it was unnecessary. I promise to always stand by your side... to never leave you, just as you promised me, Naruto-kun. We are Bonded for Life... and even if we weren't, I would still."**

**Naruto thought the next thing, trying to test the mental link they seemed to share.**_I know, Haku-chan. And so would I. You are my most precious person, and I will protect you with my life._

**The pale girl blushed a light pink, proving she had heard, and she replied through thought back.**_Loyal to the end, we'll protect each other forever and grow stronger with each other. We will fight for each other and no one will be able to take me from you, or you from me. No one._

After that little event... they had begun training the next four days. It appeared Kurama had been correct with what she said about the chakra, as the former blonde had felt as if his reserves had increased by at least high Jōnin level, and each time Haku did something... his chakra seemed to deplete. What was also impressive... is that his chakra control had increased, thanks to Haku. He already had low Jōnin control, but Haku admitted that she had reached mid ANBU level control. Their control had met in the middle, at high Jōnin control for their double Kage reserves.

The entire first day was spent with the two performing control exercises and it seemed that while each one performed the same, their control increased twice as fast... which meant that they truly shared all aspects of chakra. That led to Naruto performing and experiment the next day, involving two sheets of chakra paper.

Their affinities had also changed. Each one's paper cut into three pieces, one being soaked so much it literally turned into water, one burning to a small, blackened char, and the last turning to ice and shattering as it hit the floor. Haku had gained Naruto's affinity to Katon, and he in turn had gained an affinity to Suiton and the Kekkai Genkai for Hyōton. Again, Kurama's prediction had rung true, with Naruto inheriting Haku's bloodline. Which meant...

**_"That's amazing!" Haku exclaimed as she laid eyes on Naruto's paper. "You really did gain the ability to use Ice Release... I can't believe it..."_**

**_"But if I did..." Naruto's eyes widened and he pulled out a kunai. "Haku, take this." He handed her the kunai. "I'm going to sound crazy, but I want you to cut yourself with it." She looked at him strangely. "Please? There is a point to this... just trust me?" The look in his eyes... that look of pureness that held no malice or deception convinced her._**

**_"Fine... I trust you." So she took the kunai and pressed its edge against her palm before she dragged it across and made a small cut in her delicate hand. Then before her eyes..._**

**_"It... it already healed!" She exclaimed and dropped the kunai, before looking at a grinning Naruto._**

**_"One part of the Uzumaki Kekkai Genkai... it is very useful. See, the Uzumaki have a special bloodline that has several smaller parts to it. The first is our Fountain of Youth, the part of our genetics that gives us our legendary vitality. In truth, what it actually does is siphons off a portion of our Yang chakra into our cells and slows our aging by increasing the number of times our cells can split. It first activates around the age of fifteen and starts to slow our age so that we only pass one year for every five. As we grow older, it becomes more efficient, eventually only aging us one year physically for every twenty that pass. Kurama-sensei claims that after I get to that point I should even be able to use my life-force as a pool of chakra, but I don't think I'd like to ever need it._**

**"_The second part is known as Grace of the Goddess." When Haku looked at him oddly, he explained. "I didn't name these. Kurama-sensei told me about them and said these are the names the original Uzumaki gave them. Anyways, this one is more simple, it means that the Uzumaki are incapable of gaining bulky muscles. Rather, our muscles gain density instead of mass._**

**"_Third is Divine Law. That's the Uzumaki affinity to seals and runes. Our brain is actually hardwired to understand and decode seals much easier than others. Think of it like knowing a second language from birth. Kurama-sensei also claims that we can do things like writing seals on any surface, even the air itself, with our chakra. I haven't done anything like that myself, but she says its just a matter of chakra control._**

**"_The next one is the Kindgom of Tsunamis. The whirlpools around Whirlpool Country weren't actually always there. It was an Uzumaki that caused them to form. Our affinity to Suiton is so great that we can force molecules in the air to become water and manipulate existing water in ways no one else can._**

**"_The Heavenly Body aspect is why the Uzumaki have so much chakra. We actually have a second, smaller chakra pool that's composed entirely of Yang chakra. We can mold this one in isolation or in conjunction with our actual chakra pool for various effects._**

**"_Holy Punishment plays directly off of Heavenly Body though it isn't necessary to have one to use the other. With so much Yang chakra in our family, our bodies have grown to manipulate it far more easily throughout each generation. We can form solid objects out of Yang chakra that will exist so long as we continue to channel the chakra. My mother was particularly skilled in this and used it in the form of Adamantium Sealing Chains which could contain chakra and youki of anything she bound within them._**

**"_Finally is the Ichor. That what you just saw. It's our ability to heal much more quickly than other people. Flesh wounds are fixed in seconds; fractured bones take minutes; broken bones take hours. Kurama-sensei even claims we can regenerate parts of our body that we might lose as long as the wound isn't cauterized. I don't really want to find out if that's true though._**

**_"And... I have all of these too?" The former blonde shrugged._**

**_"I am pretty sure you do. Only time will tell if you gained all of these aspects."_**

And it seemed so far that she had in fact gained them, since she had already learned the seals he taught her rather quickly, just as he had learned the few Hyōton jutsu she taught him rather quickly. Four days had been very productive, especially once it was found out that they could use the memories they gained from each other to quickly learn more things... but you can only learn so much in two days without the Shadow Clones or the Sharingan. Naruto hadn't even opened the scroll for the Kubikiribōcho yet... though Haku told him that Zabuza had only needed to strengthen his arms to carry the blade and not work on the forms. It wasn't a katana after all, it was a cleaver, meant to cut through crowds without grace. Still, he would like to at least try, but there was so much he needed to focus on right now. So he would learn through spars with his friend and through fights with others later on.

But now, four days later...

**"Nine-Tails Shadow Clone Jutsu!" **Naruto's voice spoke loudly as Haku stood next to him. From the ensuing cloud of red smoke appeared Kurama in her full glory... except that she still only had three tails. It would take some time to get used to that. He had barely gotten used to her having only five tails. Back when Naruto had first met the Bijū, they had struck a deal. She would teach him and also give him four tails of her chakra in exchange that he would alter the seal and eventually give her a physical human body of her own that could survive her demonic chakra and that she could use to spend the rest of her immortal life in. She said that her four tails would eventually grow back, just as Naruto would eventually grow five tails. Now... it seemed since Haku and him shared chakra they had six tails between them and would eventually grow three more and become a second Kyūbi, so to speak.

"Have a good rest, Kurama-sensei?" Naruto asked with a cheery smile, a state that showed the happiness he almost always felt when Haku was around him.

"Why yes, Naruto-kun. A very good rest, and I believe I am ready to travel even."

"Does that mean we are leaving Nami no Kuni, Kurama-san?" Haku asked curiously.

"Oh, not at all, my little vixen!" The redhead said cheerily. "First, we are making a stop at Gatō Enterprises!" The sly smirk she wore told the two that she had something good in mind for them, and something bad for Gatō.

**[Konohagakure South Gate]**

Kōtetsu and Izumo could see very clearly the serious expression on the approaching Jōnin and the scared expression his three genin wore. "Kōtetsu... why did you have to wish for something exciting to happen today? Look at this... he looks really pissed."

"Yeah... Asuma is never that serious... and... oh Kami! He's not smoking anything!"

"Oh no... the last time he wasn't smoking was when Konohamaru-sama's parents died! Remember the bar fights he got into?"

"How could I not, Izumo? He put four ANBU, three Jōnin and seven Chūnin in the Konoha General Hospital when they made a comment at their table about..." The two looked at each other and suddenly figured out why the man was so serious...

"NARUTO!" They swallowed hard as Asuma got closer. Neither felt any hatred for the young blonde... they actually liked him. Sometimes he would come by the guard house and keep them from getting bored by telling stories of pranks he had done or ask them questions about what he should do for training. The two were glad for the distraction and had no problems helping him with his shurikenjutsu, the only thing they could since the two long-time friends had affinities for Raiton and knew no Katon, Suiton or Fūton jutsu. Heck, they had even given him a present his last four birthdays, since they met him six months after his ninth birthday. His presents had been a Fūma Shuriken, a giant shuriken, a scroll on basic Raiton manipulation and a giant kunai like Kōtetsu wore on his back and used.

"A-Asuma! Welcome back! How was your mission with the bandit camp?" Izumo spluttered out with a strained smile. Asuma merely showed the two his shinobi license and the paperwork to get back into Konoha.

"I don't have time to talk. I must speak to Hokage-tou-sama immediately." The pair looked at his paperwork and nodded before giving it back.

"O-Of course! Go right ahead."

The Jōnin made his way into the village at a brisk pace and the guards stopped the three genin, who were panting hard and somehow red from physical exertion and pale from fear at the same time. "Wait, you three. Just... what happened on the mission?"

Shikamaru spoke. "Asuma-sensei... he received a messenger pigeon right after we finished off the bandit camp and took everything within in scrolls... and... he rushed us straight here after he read it."

Chōji spoke next. "He's been releasing Killer Intent the whole way! I thought I would die!"

The blonde Ino, then spoke in between rasping breaths. "We read the letter... and apparently Naruto is gone... left Konoha on his last mission... and he's been labeled a missing-nin."

The Chūnin guards blanched and looked at each other, already fearing the worst. "But if Naruto is killed..."

"And the clans who gave him protection found out..."

Shikamaru finished. "Konoha would lose several of its most powerful families or go into Civil War. The Hyūga and Kurama would leave for sure... probably the Fenikkusu as well, since their clan head was one of Naruto's mother's students along with Uzuki Yūgao and Uchiha Itachi. Not to mention Asuma-sensei and Konohamaru, who see Naruto as a little brother and an older brother respectively ever since he first stayed in the Sarutobi Compound. Naruto probably doesn't even realize all the politics he's caused by leaving, knowing him. Mendokusai..."

"Troublesome is right..." Izumo said.

**[Gatō****Corporation HQ, Nami Branch]**

The trio of one shinobi, one kunoichi, and one demoness arrived in a large swirl of purple foxfire that had surrounded all three of them, a **Fox Fire Shunshin **courtesy of Kurama. The two ninja swayed a little and regained their balance from the demonic variant of the teleportation ninjutsu before looking around the room. Haku was the one who recognized it.

"Isn't this Gatō's office?" She asked the now three-tailed Yoko who nodded.

"Yep. Back before you died Haku, I began spying on him and overheard some interesting things..." She grinned and looked over at the steel safe behind his desk that took up a whole wall with how large it was. "Gatō has some stuff that is rightfully both of yours... but we need to get into the safe first. If I tried... I would probably burn everything inside... so..."

The other two got the hint and Haku flew through handseals quickly. **"Ice Style: Freezing Mist Jutsu!" **Haku shouted before exhaling a cloud of pale blue mist that completely froze the safe solid in an instant. Immediately afterward, Naruto pulled **Kubikiribōcho**off his back and lunged, stabbing it straight through the frozen door and shattering it into millions of shards from the chakra-enhanced strength of the strike.

The two fifteen year olds gasped at the scene before them... while Kurama grinned.

"This... is the safe of Gatō. Home to billions of ryō, expensive artifacts that belong in museums, rare scrolls from ancient times... and two heirlooms of the highest value. The **Fuyu no Daikama** of the Yuki clan and an ancient scroll of the Uzumaki I have come to learn from my spying is a blueprint of the village of Uzushiogakure itself that even contains details of all the seals and keys the village was protected by. Separately, Gatō paid over fifteen billion for the two on the black market, a hefty sum, but the man loved expensive shinobi artifacts of extinct, or near extinct in this case, clans. Now... why don't we use some clones to store everything in here, ne? Then we'll leave Nami for good!" The redhead smirked and giggled as the pair grinned and each made fifty clones to begin the sealing.

**[Two Hours Later]**

"Sensei?" Haku asked as the trio were walking on the road from Nami and through Hi no Kuni. They had left the village about two hours ago and across the bridge, which all three had noted bore the name of 'Great Naruto Bridge', an honor that the spiky haired teen smiled at.

"Hm, Haku-chan?" The redheaded woman asked. Kurama's appearance had changed as she wore a **Henge**. Her hair now was worn in a single bun in the back of her head. Her fox ears had been replaced by human ears, and her tails were nowhere to be seen. Instead of a kimono, she was now dressed in an all red robe with black foxes all over it. "Those guys are still following us." Naruto replied for his fellow ice-user as he had done in the past week, or she had done for him. It would have been annoying, except that Kurama found it so adorable! Then she paused... were they?

Naruto and Haku each had the ability to use a part of her Negative Emotions Sense. Haku could feel emotions, while Naruto could feel the chakra, as they each had the tails to control those... eventually she would regrow her own tails and get her Negative Emotions Sense back but until then...

"Well then... looks like we'll test how good your training has made you. Numbers?" Kurama asked, going into sensei-mode.

"Forty bandits with two genin level shinobi and one Jōnin level. Probably the remainder of the force Gatō was going to use against us at the bridge." Naruto automatically answered, noticing that Haku tensed at the mention of the bridge and the single male of the group grabbed her hand, smiling to her comfortingly.

"T-they are thinking of robbing us, since we probably look like easy pickings." Haku said in barely restrained guilt from the sudden memories of Zabuza's death.

"This is good..." Kurama thought aloud before clapping and wearing a bright smile. "**Shadow Clones**for the bandits, both of you take the shinobi and if it looks like you'll lose, then I'll jump in, kay?" The pair nodded.

As if they were aware of the training this was, the bandits jumped out of the trees to either side of the road, three figures among them at the forefront. Those were the Jōnin and Genin, ex-shinobi of Kiri from the looks.

The Jōnin was a woman about six feet tall with bright red hair set in twin ponytails against her back and big blue eyes. Her tan skin and sensuous curves of her hourglass figure and nearly DD-cup breasts were barely restrained by her tightly-fitted kimono of deep blue. On either hand she wore a pair of blue gloves.

The two Genin were identical male twins with silver pineapple-ponytails of hair and crimson eyes. Both wore fitted clothes that resembled ANBU uniforms and also wore a tanto on their hips. Their visible skin seemed to be covered in glowing tattoos.

"Hello, kiddies." The redhead said with a licking of her lips oddly reminiscent of Orochimaru. "You seem to have been abandoned by that other woman... cowards do live longer." She giggled at her joke. "Now... what say you two hand over those weapons of yours, plus all your money, and then we'll let you live. Live as slaves to me that is..."

The pair of Uzumaki-Yuki glanced at each other and shrugged. Naruto pulled the sword off his back. It was wrapped completely in white bandages, making it look like a regular zanbatou since the holes were invisible. The hilt was also wrapped in bandages. Haku pulled out her own weapon.

The **Fuyu no Daikama**was a graceful and beautiful weapon. Its handle was of icy-blue chakra steel coated in ancient seals and measured exactly five-feet in length. The curved blade at its top was the same color and had its own seals etched in with the kanji for 'Snow' on one side and 'Ice' on the other side. The handle had the kanji for 'Wind', 'Storm', and 'Winter' on it at different locations. It also had a light vapor rising off of its form from the extreme cold that it had.

"Go get them." She ordered the twins who silently walked forward. One of them got to the Scythe first and grabbed it, and then the other took hold of the sword. They turned to walk back to their master... but never got farther.

**"KAI!" **Both Naruto and Haku shouted at once as Naruto's left and Haku's right hand were clasped together in a ram seal. The twin holding the Fuyu no Daikama watched in horror as his fingers flash froze and the ice began to spread up his body. In a single second it had gone up his right arm, one more and half his chest was frozen. The other one was astonished as the bandages on Naruto's blade unwrapped themselves from the zanbatou before instantly wrapping him up.

Then each one performed a technique that Kurama had taught them just two days ago, chakra strings, to pull their respective weapons to them. The redhead glared at them.

"The **Kubikiribōcho **and **Fuyu no Daikama**... Two of Kiri's most famous weapons... both crafted by the Uzumaki clan with seals on them with unknown purposes only an Uzumaki could possibly figure out." She growled out before grinning. "And both of which are extremely valuable. I can make a fortune on those!" She smiled crazily. "Kill them and bring me their weapons! Whoever gets the weapons will get 500,000 ryō for each one!" The bandits' eyes widened and immediately they rushed as one.

"Haku-chan... sensei said to use **Shadow Clones**right?" The Yuki nodded. "Will we?"

"Hm... I really have some stress to work off, Naruto-kun." Naruto nodded, having access to her thoughts and knowing she needs a warm-up to fight the Jōnin.

"Sure." The two then stood back to back as the forty bandits surrounded them and brandished all sorts of blades, knives, swords, staves, and clubs. One rushed forward in front of the rest, but fell easily to Naruto's cleaver, which he wielded in one hand by enhancing his strength with chakra in a way he had learned from Yūgao, who used the same trick to make her slashes stronger. His head rolled to the ground as Haku and Naruto began using their free hands, the ones not occupied by the scythe or sword, to perform handseals with each other.

**"Ice Style: Freezing Mist Jutsu!" **Naruto called out and Haku opened her mouth to produce the sub-zero mist that froze five bandits where they stood, so cold was it. The rest of the forces seemed to realize something.

"Let's all rush at once!" one yelled and the remaining thirty-four rushed forward, hoping to overpower the duo. The Yuki jumped up high and released a dozen senbon into six men's neck, landing gracefully on the blade Naruto held above him and filling her scythe with Ice-natured chakra before slashing it diagonally. **"Fuyu no Daikama: Ice Storm Needle Barrage!" **From the curved blade, hundreds of icicles materialized and pierced more bandits, bringing the number down to about twenty as she jumped off the cleaver and watched Naruto grab it by the bandage hanging off of the hilt. He swung it in a large arc, watching as it sliced through many other bandits before she landed on the swinging blade's flat edge. Throwing her scythe to the former blonde and performing rapid handseals. **"Foxfire: Stream!" **She shouted and completed the seals for another of the techniques the Bijū had taught the two. She accessed her pool of youki and turned it into foxfire before releasing a stream of the purple fire from her mouth as she traveled on the sword, incinerating the last of the bandits.

Once they were all gone, she back flipped off the sword and landed at Naruto's side just as he caught his blade and she took hold of her own weapon.

The redheaded Jōnin glared at them. "So... you think you're all that just because you can kill some bandits? I got a news flash for you! You're not! Let's see how well you can fight against an actual shinobi!" She flew through seals faster than the eye could see. **"Lava Style: Melting Apparition Jutsu!" **She breathed out a large cloud of liquid magma right above them and the two had their eyes widen before Haku grabbed onto Naruto's shoulder and they disappeared in a swirl of ice, reappearing behind the Jōnin.

"I thought I recognized her..." Haku said with a growl. "You're Terumi Umi... Mei's cousin. Careful Naruto-kun. While she only has access to the Yōton kekkai genkai of the Terumi Clan, she is a master of ninjutsu in all three of her affinities, unlike her cousin, Mei, who only uses her two kekkai genkai." Naruto nodded.

"Let's dance, Umi-san." Naruto jumped up high and went for an ax kick to the top of her head, only for the woman to jump back. As soon as she landed, she had to jump high to avoid the senbon thrown at her by Haku and then was forced to **Kawarimi **with a nearby log to avoid several shuriken from Naruto.

Umi performed quick handseals while in mid-air and as soon as she landed, she slammed her palms to the ground. **"Earth Style: Stone Spikes no Jutsu!" **The two partial Yoko immediately jumped back and dodged the sudden spears of earth that formed just at their feet. As they landed, the two nodded to each other and they shot through their own handseals.

**"Water Style: Gunshot no Jutsu!" **Haku shouted.

**"Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!" **Naruto announced and then together they yelled out.

**"Combination Technique: Water Vortex Jutsu!" **The two techniques mixed together and the wind sped up the water before it became a drilling vortex comparable to Kiba's **Passing Fang**. Umi's eyes widened before she used a **Shunshin **of lava to appear right in front of Haku, ready to kick her in the head if not for Naruto's quick reaction. He instinctively used a **Kawarimi **with Haku and took the blow for her, being knocked back twenty feet and sporting a bloody nose as he recovered.

"Ow..." The former blonde groaned as he shook his head to clear the sudden cobwebs and blood shook with it. "That hurt like a bitch..." He took his sword and buried it into the ground before pulling out a scroll and opening it, pulsing chakra into it and catching two kunai with tags on the back out of it. "I can't believe I have to use my last two on you..." He growled as he tossed them and performed handseals in rapid succession. **"Shadow Kunai Clone Jutsu!" **Two became two hundred and as soon as Haku shunshined to his side, he formed the ram seal. **"Kai!" **All of the tags sizzled and suddenly a deep blue mist came out of half as the other half erupted electrical sparks, electrifying the mist into a pseudo-plasma.

The two teens felt her chakra disappear and sighed. Haku poked Naruto's nose, to which he let lose a cry of pain. "It's broken..." She mumbled. "Why'd you have to go and do that, Naruto-kun?" She asked in worry as she dug into her ninja pouch to find a salve of herbs. She rubbed it between her hands and softly rubbed it into his injury as Kurama appeared in a swirl of purple fire.

"Aw..." she squealed at the scene before her. "So cute! Haku's helping her boyfriend heal..." The two blushed but stayed silent. "You do realize his nose will heal in a few seconds because of his kekkai genkai, right?"

Haku seemed to blush harder. "Force of habit..." she mumbled and put her hands down. Naruto also still had a blush as his nose was mended.

Kurama smiled before frowning. "She's still alive." She said. "That woman... Umi... just before she was hit by the mist, I saw that she disappeared into the ground with my Sharingan. She'll probably want to get back at you two for forcing her to retreat."

"But we'll be ready for her, sensei!" Naruto pointed out. "We almost had her this time!"

Kurama sighed. "Naruto... you know you can't take on a jōnin alone. Your only jōnin level skills right now are control and fuinjutsu. And maybe ninjutsu... but you two need to get far better. You only survived this time because she had no idea of your skills and didn't outright burn you with lava because she needed your weapons in good condition so she could sell them. Don't get cocky."

The former blonde put his head down in shame. "Gomenesai... sensei." He sighed. "What do we do then? Train?"

Kurama shook her head and smiled as her eyes found the two silver-haired twins. She grinned in a foxlike manner. "Not quite... I have a much better idea in mind. Haku-chan... How many hunter-nin uniforms do you own?"

The girl looked curious. "Um... I have seven left and could make more in two weeks' time... why?"

"Because... I know how I'm going to train you two..."

**[Kurama Clan Compound, Council Room]**

"Bring them in!" Yakumo yelled to the guards of her clan, who opened the doors in her council chambers, a council that had long been executed, and brought two individuals in. Around the chamber was thirty clan members, all strictly loyal to their young clan head, to the point if she gave the word, they would commit suicide by whatever means she requested. The brunette sat up high in a throne-like chair, as she was the queen of her clan, the only one who had access to her kekkai genkai in its fullest in the last seven generations. The full powers of clan head without a Council's interference were hers, dammit!

The two individuals were bound by their wrists, ankles, and had their chakra sealed off so tightly only the barest amount to keep them alive was going through their tenketsu.

"These are the two, Yakumo-sama." One of the guards spoke fanatically. "Does this please our queen and goddess?" Yakumo made sure her clan was _very _loyal to her, and even had them worship her to keep them loyal.

She tapped her chin with a slightly crazed grin. "Why yes... it does, my child." That was how she referred to all of her clansmen, even though she was far younger. It made them more loyal to her, as they also thought of her as...

"We only wish our Eternal Mother to be happy!" Another of the guards said with a proud smile. Then he glared at the duo of bound individuals.

"Welcome, most esteemed Elders." The pair before her were two of the three shinobi who served as Hiruzen's Elder Council, the only missing one was Danzō. "So glad you could make it to the meeting we had planned..."

"This is kidnapping!" the female of the two shouted.

"Kidnapping would mean you came here not of your own free will. And witnesses... but anyone in town would quite plainly tell you that they saw you two calmly walking alongside my clansmen, who served as an honor guard to you."

"Just your damn Genjutsu!" The other one yelled. Yakumo's grin became predatory.

"Yes... tell me, did you know the full extent of my kekkai genkai, most esteemed Elders? Or the extent of my spy network?" She frowned. "I doubt so. Seeing how you two were going to pressure the Civilian Council to push for Naruto-kun's death..."

"The jinchuuriki deserves death! He is a traitor to the village!" Yakumo's eyes became ice-cold and suddenly the two Elders fell to their knees under an invisible pressure they knew to be Killer Intent.

"I was talking, worms!" She calmed with a breath, and then smiled sweetly. "Anyways, I know of your meeting with the Council... too bad for you, I have spies everywhere. You see... my kekkai genkai is more extensive than allowing my illusions to become real... I can use any Genjutsu ever created... even those that require a separate kekkai genkai. And whatever emotions you feel would become genuine, you know." She grinned and looked at the Elders. **"Kotoamatsukami!" **The two then stiffened and shuddered.

"What is it you ask of us, Yakumo-sama?" They droned simultaneously.

She smiled a cruel half-smirk that screamed of promised pain. "Yes... my children. You will do as your Mother says, won't you?"

"Hai, Mother." They repeated in their normal voice, a childish expression in their eyes, and the new desire to only please their new Mother.

"I have a chore for you, my newest children. You will do it, won't you? Here is what I want you to do, my little angels... my dears... you must not fail me, I am counting on you. You will..."

**[With Naruto, Haku and Kurama]**

The trio stood in trees, all dressed in the hunter-nin uniform of Kiri's ANBU, swirled red mask and all. "Now... we hunt!" Kurama announced dramatically.

She had decided for a specific form of training her kit and his vixen. She would allow them to go wherever in the Elemental Nations they wished with one singular directive. They were to hunt down missing-nin and bring them in for bounties. They would do the tracking, locating, fighting, and capturing or killing of them, while Kurama would only teach them things on the road and help if it seemed they would lose a fight.

Real world experience is the only way that they would get better in a short amount of time.

In a burst of speed, the three disappeared and soon were dashing through the trees at an accelerated rate... probably high-Chūnin or low-Jōnin speeds. Naruto had point, with Haku to his left and Kurama to his right. **_"Haku-chan... where to?"_**

**_"Well, Naruto-kun,"_**she thought in response, **_"we should get out of Hi no Kuni first, and the easiest way would be to go north from here... that would put us near Kirigakure no Sato and Kumogakure no Sato as far as shinobi villages are concerned, both of which have a wealth of nukenin we could find."_**

**_"Hm... that's a solid plan. Kirigakure shinobi... you might know their abilities, but they also might know yours."_**

**_"Except that we're creating an entirely new style together. We train in our shared mindscape at night to come up with new techniques and during the day we practice them. Like Foxfire and the Water Vortex we used on the bandits. It took us six hours to perfect that in the mindscape and a whole day to have our timing right in the waking world."_**

**_"That is true. Our taijutsu style is dependent on one another, our kenjutsu revolves around teamwork, and we can cast ninjutsu simultaneously with each other or separately. Then there's our fuinjutsu, which no one would ever expect..."_**

**_"See. I'll know things about them, but the only thing they'll know about me is that I have access to the Ice Release, if they even are aware of that fact."_**

**_"Hm... then to Kiri?"_**

**_"To Kiri."_**

They each nodded and sped up, knowing Kurama will follow at whatever speed they set.

**[Unknown Location]**

"Leader-sama, I have intelligence to suggest that the Kyūbi jinchūriki is no longer in Konoha." The voice some in Suna would recognize as Akasuna no Sasori's spoke from the darkness of the meeting place of ten of the most wanted criminals of the Elemental Nations.

"So do we chase him down?" You could practically hear the sharp-toothed grin of the Kirigakure no Same, Hoshigaki Kisame.

"Not yet, Kisame." A cold voice spoke up, the voice of the man named the 'Ame no Kami' and who held the only set of **Rinnegan** eyes to be seen in a millennia. "We have no idea of his power. We will await and observe. Regardless, we must go in numerical order, you know this, Samehada. The Ichibi must be captured first before anything else. We will bide our time and perform more missions before we do anything else regarding the Biju. We will meet again following the Chūnin Exams... you have your missions until then."

"Hai, Leader-sama!" Nine voices rang as one before silence reigned. Had anyone been able to hear the thoughts of a certain Uchiha just then...

**_What are you doing, otouto? You're going to have Konoha, Danzō and now Akatsuki down your throats in a few months... I hope you aren't in over your head. Please be safe, Naruto... and I just hope that kaa-san won't hold it against me if I am forced to hurt you a little to keep my cover... I hope you can stay strong, wherever you are... Naruto..._**


	4. Chapter IV

**Of Snow and Whirlpools**

**Chapter IV: Uzuyukigakure no Justu**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any other elements that may appear in this story. I only own my OC's, original Kekkai Genkai/jutsu/clans and the plot.**

**_"Target in sight. Are you in position?"_**

**_"Hai, Naruto-kun."_**The last Yuki sent back to Naruto through her thoughts. The pair had been in Kiri for two months and already were making a name for themselves as bounty hunters. Currently, they had just tracked down a pair of nukenin from Iwa taking refuge on a small island within the island chains that made up Mizu no Kuni, bloodline users by their descriptions. Kurama had guessed they were going to try to join the Rebellion here. Now... while Naruto and Haku had nothing against the Rebellion, and in fact hated Yagura for what he had been doing, they could not deny that this would be a perfect training opportunity.

The two had set up camp in a grove surrounded by trees and that had a lake to the south. A light mist covered the whole area, as it did with all places within the Mizu no Kiri border. They seemed to be lax, unaware of the two hunters in the trees. They even had a campfire going, something that would give out their location to anyone who could see the smoke through the mist.

Their Bingo Book entries were rather descriptive of what they did.

Ryutsuchi, A-rank missing-nin of Iwagakure no Sato and former Jōnin of Iwagakure. Description: Ryutsuchi has a topknot of dark brown hair and shining green eyes and generally wears a tan shirt, tan pants, and a tan flak jacket. Known affinities: Earth, Fire, Wind, primary. Lava, Bloodline Limit. Taijutsu: B-rank. Genjutsu: B-rank. Ninjutsu: A-rank. Kenjutsu: A-rank. Fuinjutsu: Can use storage scrolls.

Youtsuchi, A-rank missing-nin of Iwagakure no Sato and former Jounin of Iwagakure. Description: Youtsuchi wears his black hair in spikes and has the shining green eyes of his clan. He generally wears brown pants, a tan shirt and an Iwagakure Jounin flak jacket. Affinities: Earth, Fire, Primary. Lava, Bloodline Limit. Taijutsu: B-rank. Genjutsu: C-rank. Ninjutsu: A-rank. Kenjutsu: A-rank. Fuinjutsu: Can use storage scrolls.

Ryutsuchi and his brother Youtsuchi were once a famous pair of shinobi in Iwagakure known for their abilities with the tanto and Lava Release, the Youryuu Rendan. The two excelled in assassination and infiltration missions and were trained by the Tsuchikage's family itself to control their Youton along with his granddaughter Kurotsuchi, who was their second cousin. The brothers were very promising nin with until the two had a falling out with a group of Iwagakure ANBU which led to a fight ending in seven deaths and the injury of many other Iwagakure Chūnin, Jounin and ANBU as well as injuries to Kurotsuchi herself.

For crimes of murder, assault, attempted murder, and stealing scrolls belonging to the Gohai clan and Explosion Corps in their escape, the Youryuu Rendan are wanted alive and upon their return to Iwagakure no Sato the party responsible will be given a sum not under 5,000,000 ryō and a bonus bounty of 2500000 ryō for the safe return of the scrolls with them they took, numbering fourteen exactly.

**_"Alpha formation?"_** Naruto heard Haku's thoughts once more and processed them quickly. Through mindscape training and practice in the waking world, the pair had developed many stratagems for use in many situations. That particular one was used often in battling nukenin for its speed and overall finesse that left most wondering exactly how they lost.

While no Nara, Naruto did think like a fox thanks to his partial Kitsune chakra and that meant outwitting his opponents.

**_"Hai, Haku-chan. Alpha Formation should work just fine in this situation."_**

** [With the Tsuchi Brothers]**

Ryutsuchi and his twin brother sat beside a fire of their own making, a pit of lava actually. Youtsuchi was a sensory-type and had already warned Ryutsuchi of the shinobi following them the last two days.

He had decided enough was enough.

"Youtsuchi?" the elder of the two brothers by a year asked in a hushed tone.

"Whoever it is has set up on the north and west sides of our island. I think he's using a Shadow Clone because the signatures are exactly the same. Both have kage level reserves at the least." Ryutsuchi gave an imperceptible nod in reply and sighed.

"I hope you are prepared for a fight, Youtsuchi..." Ryutsuchi stated as he gripped the hilts of his twin tanto and witnessed his brother do the same.

"They are here..." and then suddenly two figures appeared behind each of them.

Ryutsuchi's eyes widened upon seeing his opponent was holding the Kubikiriboucho. **_He's not even sixteen... how did he get that from Momochi Zabuza? That man knows the rules! _****The second thing he noted was that the two individuals who came down were not copies, but looked very distinct. Perhaps it was just a tactic to confuse opponents though. He decided to play along.**

"Look Youtsuchi, we got a pair of brats out here." Ryutsuchi decided to stay calm and collected. There's no way this guy could be one of _them _right? He had to have just gotten the sword from Zabuza's corpse or something right?

The blonde before him smiled. It was one of those smiles that seemed to promise pain. "Yep, just a brat who can't handle himself. Don't mind me." Ryutsuchi ducked under the horizontal slash that suddenly came his was courtesy of the Executioner's Blade. As he came up, the nukenin grabbed his twin tanto and lunged forward.

Imagine his surprise as the person he killed- stabbed through the heart and stomach- suddenly exploded in a cloud of smoke. **He could have sworn that it was the girl who was the clone, but maybe not?**

Ryutsuchi kept his ears open, ready for anything that might happen...

**[With Haku]**

Haku wasted no time and sliced her scythe at her opponent's feet, an action which caused him to jump up. Almost immediately, he had handseals finished. **"Lava Style: Lava Bullet Jutsu!" **He released a small ball of molten mass from his mouth and straight at the Yuki, who charged her weapon with the chakra of her kekkai genkai.

**"Ice Style: Freezing Winds!" **With a single upward slash, her scythe released an arc of light-blue, ice-natured chakra. As soon as it hit the ball of lava, the fiery stone sizzled and steamed before it cooled and then became a ball of solid ice. The orb then shattered when Haku slammed her scythe handle into it like a club. "You know, it's funny, Ice beats Lava as long as I have my Winter Scythe." She spoke, perhaps emulating Naruto's personality a little too much. Her opponent growled in response.

"You are going down, Frost Queen!" Youtsuchi shouted and rushed her while performing handseals. **"Fire Style: Dragon Fire Jutsu!" ****Haku analyzed **the sudden stream of fire that materialized before spinning the Winter Scythe. In response, a large circular shield of ice made from the water in the air materialized and blocked the Katon jutsu perfectly.

"Oh... and it beats fire too." Haku taunted with a smirk. "So what are you going to do?"

**[With Naruto]**

The blonde Uzumaki brought his giant sword down in a heavy swing, only for Ryutsuchi's tantos to block it in an X-formation. He jumped back, bandages on the blade trailing him. "So those blades aren't just for show, eh Ryutsuchi?"

"And you seem to wield Zabuza's blade with some level of proficiency, whoever you are." The blonde grinned.

"If you can beat me, I'll tell you my name." Naruto replied and rested the Kubikiribōcho on his shoulder. "Can you do that?" Ryutsuchi matched his grin.

"Let's find out, brat." Ryutsuchi suddenly disappeared and nearly took off Naruto's head if not for his quick duck. With the new opening, he kicked upward, slamming his foot into the nukenin's chest and sending him back a few feet. Naruto quickly got to his feet and held his giant sword in both hands, seal arrays glowing bright blue as his chakra poured into it.

**"Ninja Art: Steel Rain!" **He slashed and suddenly kunai, shuriken, and senbon exploded from the blade in a large wave thanks to one of the seals he had deciphered on the blade. The seal that looked like a cross between storage and explosion was just that. By storing any manner of things within it, he could force them to shoot out at a high velocity by activating the seal at the same time he swung the enormous blade. While he had to replace what he shot, if he did the sword could release three shots of the technique, more than enough to take on most people he had come up against. And it was also only the third seal he had figured out, besides the repairing and gravity seals he learned of when he first acquired Zabuza's sword.

Unfortunately, Ryutsuchi wasn't A-ranked for nothing and disappeared in a swirl of lava, reappearing on a low branch, looking down on the whiskered blonde. "That's a trick Zabuza never knew, brat." Naruto grinned. "I think it's time I got serious!" Naruto's smile widened at the promise of a challenge and he gripped Kubikiribōcho tighter as he stared at his opponent.

"Then maybe I should too." He replied.

**[With Kurama]**

The being most commonly referred to at the Nine-Tails looked on at her students in pride. They were even matched with a B and an A-rank nukenin, both with kekkai genkai opposing their own sub-elemental release. It made her so proud!

Over the last few weeks since the Healing, Kurama had borne witness to their growth, nothing short of amazing.

What was most amazing though, in her eyes at least, as that they had achieved something no jinchūriki of hers ever did... they Unlocked her Tailed Powers.

Tailed Powers were a term bijuu used to describe the abilities each of their tails granted. These could be sub-elements, extreme affinity to a particular element, or even her own Negative Emotions Sense. While many jinchūriki unlocked maybe one tail, such as Yonbi's Lava Release or Nibi's affinity to Fire, the only human to Unlock all Tailed Powers – save for jinchūriki of the Ichibi – had been the Rikudou Sennin himself with Unlocking the Ten Tails.

Her own abilities revolved around her Kitsune form. Shapeshifting, Age Manipulation, Foxfire, Dreams, Illusions, Invisibility, Intangibility, Spirit and Presence. Haku had only gained two, the Foxfire and Dreams – where her Negative Emotion Sense came from. Naruto still had the four he always had: Shapeshifting, Illusions, Invisibility and Intangibility. Of course, with so many tails to train, it was difficult to train all of them so he only had the barest amounts of training. It was still enough to pull off the grandest of pranks she had him design though! Oh, how fun it was to witness the ANBU lose their mind when an Academy student disappeared from their sight like some sort of ghost! That left her with her Age Manipulation, Spirits and Presence, a combination that was still terrifying under her guidance.

It was so strange though... somehow the mental link Naruto and she shared had been severed when Haku's and his were created. The only exception was when she was inside the seal, a place she'd rather not be. Still... with Haku retaining all of Naruto's memories, she could remember all the training Naruto had with each of the nine tails, something Kurama thought crucial to his training.

That's why she was exceptionally good with her Foxfire. That and the fact that the pair could use the other's tailed powers to a minor extent because of their Bonds, and a Fire affinity didn't hurt.

Shaking from her idle thoughts, Kurama looked back at the fights. If something were to go wrong, she would need to help them.

**[With Haku]**

**"Ice Style: Divine Tundra!" **The base of Haku's scythe slammed into the ground, and from it, for fifty feet in every direction, snow covered the ground, frost the trees, and wind chilled the air. Though Haku's kekkai genkai kept her safe and unaffected, Youtsuchi was not so lucky. The thing about those with Iwagakure's strain of the Youton kekkai genkai was... their body heat was higher than average so they could make lava inside their body effectively. This meant that he felt the cold more so than another would.

"Welcome... to my winter wonderland!" Haku announced and swung her scythe up, causing the snow in front of her to rise in an arc and freeze before shooting off right at her opponent. "I control all in my field, every particle of water, all the winds, all snow and ice, the temperature and even the weather is mine." Haku explained calmly before spinning her weapon and then swung horizontally. **"Icicle Flurry!" **The air froze into needles of ice where her light-blue blade touched and simultaneously they shot for Youtsuchi.

The lava-using Nin used a quick **Kawarimi**to escape the barrage of icy death and when he reappeared, he glared at Haku. "Now... I'm going to kill you." He said as he noted the three icicles embedded in his body.

"You weren't going to before?" Haku asked quizzically and quickly swung her blade to create a wall of ice in front of her, blocking the barrage of shuriken sent at her just then. Youtsuchi's eyes then widened as the steel stars frosted over and became ice just from contact with the wall.

"Wh-what is this?!" He yelled as his legs and left arm went numb and he fell to his knees, then on his front. He could almost hear his female opponent smirking.

"The Fuyu no Daikama has a special characteristic, you see. Anything the scythe touches or cuts will freeze... but anything its ice touches will either turn to ice, if its inorganic, or lower in temperature until it is immovable and numb, if it is organic. Looks like you lose, Youtsuchi."

Suddenly each of them heard Ryutsuchi yelling. "UZUMAKI!?" And turned to the other battle, eyes widening.

**[With Naruto]**

**"Wind Style: Wind Blade!" (Wind Release: Wind Blade) **Naruto swung his sword straight down, releasing a blade of wind just as Asuma and Yūgao had taught him to four months ago. Ryutsuchi coated his own tantos in fire chakra and swung them in an X-formation. **"Fire Style: Fire Blade!" **The result was an X-slash of fire that collided with the wind and caused the two to explode outwards in a burst of fiery gales. Each used a **Shunshin**before they were hit, Ryutsuchi's of lava and Naruto's of fire and ice.

They rushed once more and Naruto's cleaver-like sword clashed against twin tanto of Ryutsuchi. "Not bad for a brat..." Ryutsuchi commented, and Naruto grinned.

"Same to you..."

"Can I know the name of my opponent now?" Ryutsuchi asked with an equal grin, one that showed his teeth. The blonde pressed against the two smaller swords his Iwa-native opponent used and smiled wickedly.

"I suppose so, Ryutsuchi. Though I'll probably be in Konoha's Bingo Book soon... the name's Naruto, Uzumaki Naruto, son of Uzumaki Kushina." Ryutsuchi's eyes widened and he quickly jumped back.

"UZUMAKI!?" Ryutsuchi demanded. "But..." Ryutsuchi then silently bowed his head, sheathing his tanto and kneeling. "My apologies, Uzumaki-sama. Please forgive me, I did not know who you were or that one of the Seven had found its way to the long lost prince." The blonde stared at the man before him in something akin to curiosity...

**_Just what the hell is going on?_**

Naruto looked at his kneeling opponent defensively. "What do you mean…? Uzumaki-sama?" He asked as he gripped the zanbatō in his hand tightly. Ryutsuchi looked up at the teen.

"You… you don't know? Didn't Zabuza explain it to you?" He asked.

"Zabuza… gave me this sword while he was dying." Naruto said. "With his last breath, he told me to use it to follow my dream."

"Your dream?"

"My dream is… something I'm still figuring out. Can you explain the 'prince' part though?"

"Ah, my apologies, Uzumaki-sama." Ryutsuchi quickly apologized. "It all started decades ago at the end of the Second Shinobi World War. Uzushiogakure was being sieged and the Nidaime Uzukage, Uzumaki Abe, knew the hidden village would be destroyed." Haku, Youtsuchi and Kurama appeared in swirls of ice, lava and purple fire just then.

"He decided to do something about it and a few people were chosen. Representatives of each clan in Uzushiogakure. He chose us to become Guardians of the Blades, Guardians of the Mind, Guardians of the Soul and Guardians of the Heart. Youtsuchi and I were only children when we were chosen and left to our clan's compound in Iwa through a space-time seal. Our clan had two branches and we were heirs to the Uzushio branch of the Gohai clan."

"We are one of the Guardians of Mind." Youtsuchi continued. "Our responsibility is to protect one of Uzushio's hijutsu scrolls with our life and teach the heir to Uzushio if we find him. That is you, Naruto-sama." He said with a bow of his head.

Naruto's eyes widened and Kurama asked the obvious question. "How would you know?" She asked.

"The previous heir was Uzumaki Kushina. Only an Uzumaki of the Ruling Family may hold the Kyuubi no Kitsune. Mito-sama and Kushina-sama did... and if our sources are correct, so do you, Naruto-sama. Forgive us for not recognizing you earlier but the thrill of battle got in the way."

"Y-yes..." he replied. "What do the other Guardians do?"

"The Guardians of Blade hold the Keys to Uzushio. One of them has already found you. And the Yuki has another." The two teens looked at each other. "There were originally nine. Kubikiribōcho, Nuibari, Shibuki, Samehada, Kiba, Hiramekarei, Kabutowari, Fuyu no Daikama and Kusanagi no Tsurugi. When used in conjunction one key opens the Whirlpool Barrier around the island, two will open the first level, three the second and so on. All nine are required to open the Kage tower, shinobi library and Uzumaki shrine of artifacts." Ryutsuchi explained.

"The Guardians of Soul are tasked with protecting different artifacts of Uzushio and can only give them to the Uzushio heir." That was Youtsuchi.

"Lastly are the Guardians of Heart... they are an elite group of Uzumaki survivors who are hidden amongst the countries and protect other Uzumaki as well as perform high-level missions such as assassination and spying that keeps Uzushio's best interests at heart."

"So... you're Naruto's teachers now?" Kurama asked.

"If Naruto-sama wishes it to be so." Ryutsuchi said with a bow of his head.

Naruto looked at Haku who mentally agreed. "I agree. What scroll is it you hold though?"

Ryutsuchi pulled out a blue scroll with the red Uzumaki spiral and handed it to Naruto. "The second part of Zabuza's Kubikiribōcho scroll." Naruto smiled.

**[Two Days Later]**

"Are you sure this will work?" Naruto asked nervously.

"Positive. Any of the Keys will do." Ryutsuchi replied.

The group of five were currently atop the water looking at an island before them with whirlpools surrounding it on all sides. Naruto had his zanbatou out in both hands while Haku held her scythe and the other three stood just behind them.

"Here goes nothing..." Naruto said as he channeled chakra into one of the blade's seals and swung down as a complex array glowed blue. **"Uzumaki Secret Art: Whirlpool Parting!" **

An arc of blue chakra was created and hit the Whirlpool Barrier before it dissolved and the whirlpools completely stopped. Naruto's eyes widened. "It... worked."

"Of course it did. You thought we were lying?" Youtsuchi asked. The Uzumaki heir shook his head and began walking forward.

"No, but it is still hard to believe." Naruto was still a bit in shock of the whole situation. The two former Iwa Nin had spent the last two days telling Naruto a little of his clan. They were famous for more than fuinjutsu and health, it seemed.

The bloodline of the Uzumaki was so much deeper than that. The nukenin didn't know all the specifics (as only a true Uzumaki would) but it had something to do with the changed biology of the Uzumaki being able to enhance other bloodlines.

The best example was in Terumi Mei, who was a Guardian of the Heart, apparently. She was half-Terumi and half-Uzumaki and when both mixed she gained the ability to use both Futton and Youton. Lava from the Terumi and her Uzumaki blood added a strong enough water affinity to allow her a second sub-element. Her red hair should've been a signal to everyone.

Regardless of that info – which is why the Gohai brothers were in Kiri to begin with – the five finally landed on the coast and found themselves on a sandy beach just as the Whirlpool Barrier slowly recreated itself. "Can you say perfect timing?" Kurama asked. Her fox tails and ears were materialized as the brothers had shown no fear of the bijuu.

Unlike in most villages, Uzushiogakure actually recognized the bijuu as more than just demons. While they were feared for what they _could _do, they were not a scapegoat of hatred. When Kurama revealed her identity to them, they were surprised. The next reaction was respect for the demon queen and the two even asked her if they might learn from her. Foxes were known for amazing fire techniques, after all.

"Where to now?" Haku asked in curiosity as she looked around.

"If you will follow me, Uzumaki-sama." Ryutsuchi said and began walking one direction as the rest followed. There was a feeling of... loneliness on the beach. They were the first to set foot on this island in over twenty years.

The sand soon gave way to concrete as they got onto a road. Behind them, it connected to a dock which meant this was meant for merchants going into Uzushiogakure. They walked along the concrete road and Naruto noticed different plants growing over it. He knew this was one part that needed to be repaired. Just one of countless places his clan's village would need repaired.

Then they came to a closed gate of steel with a steel wall extending on each side. All over both were many intricate seals that had stood the test of time. "Just place the blades to the door and it will swing open. Every night these would close when the sun was no longer visible and only open as it rose. Both times required two of the Keys to have physical contact with the door."

The two holders of Uzushio's Keys nodded and placed the tips of their blades to the door. One of the arrays glowed bright blue before the gates swung inward of their own accord and Ryutsuchi nodded, glad they followed his instructions.

"So... this is it." Naruto said and the others nodded. "I guess it's my job to revive Uzushio... but it needs a new name. Uzushio can no longer be what it once was, we need to start anew."

"How about Uzuyukigakure?" Kurama asked as she grinned at her kit and his vixen. The two looked at each other.

"Hidden Village..." Naruto began.

"Of Snow and Whirlpools." She finished and all five nodded. That would do.

It would do nicely.

**[Uzuyukigakure no Sato, First Ring]**

"Well... this place is a huge mess." Kurama remarked drily as she looked around.

"Did you expect the maids to have kept up?" Ryutsuchi replied snidely.

The group of five currently stood on one of the streets of Uzuyukigakure's first level. It was covered in debris and skeletons which were once corpses as well as littered with scorch marks, craters and fissures caused from battle.

"It's so horrible..." Haku muttered. "Right, Naruto-kun? Naruto-kun?" She looked at the only Uzumaki and her eyes widened.

He looked... livid wasn't a strong enough word. Once dark blue eyes were crimson with slit pupils. His whisker birthmarks became more pronounced. His canines and nails had grown as well while four crimson fox tails with black tips and a ring of blonde between the two colors had materialized from his back.

"Oh dear..." Kurama said. "His anger at the sight is getting to him. Anger is the only reason his tails would come to the material plane."

"Naruto-kun?" Haku placed a hand on his shoulder, her dark blue eyes meeting his red ones. Upon making eye contact, his orbs softened. "Please... you're scaring me."

Naruto's features returned to normal then and he exhaled slowly before Haku hugged him. The Uzumaki returned the embrace easily. "These are members of my family..." Naruto said softly. "Even those not of the Uzumaki clan... this village is where I should've been born and raised." He whispered.

"Do not worry, Naruto-sama." Ryutsuchi said. "We will return our village to its rightful place within the Great Villages. The Guardians will be gathered together once more and we will bring the Nine Clans of the Whirlpool back."

"That reminds me." Kurama said, noting the two teenagers were still silent. Naruto would need time to overcome this, but the Yoko was sure Haku would get him through it. "The Seven Swords of the Mist make up most of the Whirlpool Keys, right? Why were they entrusted to Kirigakure shinobi, of all people?"

"Ah, I see. A very good question. Why give seven Keys to ninja of one of the villages responsible for Uzu's downfall?" Youtsuchi commented.

"It's simple really. Seals on the blades hold the memories of every former wielder of each Key, even Haku-sama's scythe and the Kusanagi no Tsurugi. These memories are only accessible to one with the blood of one of the nine clans who formed Uzushiogakure. And by letting members of our enemies' villages wield them..."

"You gain intelligence on their workings..." Kurama commented. "That is genius. I suppose the Keys aren't the only thing with these seals?"

"No." Youtsuchi commented with a smile. "The village itself has a Memory Storage Matrix as well as most artifacts of Uzu."

"Ryutsuchi. Youtsuchi." Naruto finally spoke up. The Gohai siblings and the fox demoness looked at the Uzumaki prince. "I seem to recall that besides Zabuza, Kisame and Mangetsu, the other holders of the Seven Swords are dead. Do you know how to find the other Keys?"

"Unfortnately... we do not." Ryutsuchi answered. "However... we know how to find out."

"You know someone else?" Haku asked. The Uzumaki and Yuki no longer were in an embrace, but Haku had her arms around Naruto's, keeping herself close to him to keep his negative emotions at bay.

"A group of four Ronin, a puppet master and her son who have come to become protectors of a village along. The village has three shrines within its walls of immense power which also protect it."

"Why does that sound familiar?" Kurama pondered. "Wait! You don't mean Oniji village?"

"He does." Youtsuchi replied. "The place where the shrines of Orochi, Tsukiyomi and the Biju are. The very place in which the Rikudou Sennin created the Tailed Beasts."

"And they would know for sure?" Naruto asked. The brothers nodded. "How soon can we leave then? I would prefer not to remain around my deceased kin any longer."

"Why don't we leave now?" Kurama asked. "Ryutsuchi and Youtsuchi, would you mind clearing some of the streets and making this place somewhat livable while we go out and locate these samurai?"

"Well... it's not such a bad idea. With clones, it should be easy. We can do it." Youtsuchi replied. "Just don't take too long. Naruto-sama needs to learn and train."

"I will. Without the Keys though, it's not really a full village. I have an idea on how to help you though. Can you deactivate the Whirlpool defenses from this level?" The brothers nodded. "Please do. If no one comes in a week, put them back up."

"Hai, Naruto-sama."

With that, the trio disappeared in swirls of fire, ice and wind.

**[Thirty minutes Later]**

Three knocks on the door brought Tsunami's attention from her cleaning. "Are you expecting someone, tou-san?" She asked as she walked to the front to open it.

"Not really." Tazuna said while taking a drink of sake. Tsunami opened the door and her mouth dropped. "Who is it?"

"Still a drunk, you old fool?" The man heard and he immediately shot up to look at the hero of Wave.

"N-Naruto?" He asked. "Inari! Get out of your room and come here! My boy, you're really here!"

"Yep." Naruto rubbed the back of his head and grinned sheepishly. "I take it Tsunami already told the village everything?"

"Th-the very day after your team left..." Tsunami said. "We agreed not to make any form of alliance with Konoha or Hi no Kuni."

"What is it gramps?" Inari asked as he came in before his eyes fell on Naruto and widened. "Naruto-nii-san!" He suddenly yelled and hugged the older boy. "You're back."

"I told you I would be. Tazuna, Tsunami, Inari, I'd like you to meet Haku-chan." Naruto said, introducing the pretty girl to his left who then smiled a little shyly.

"Um...hi?" she waved.

"This is your friend your clone told me about?" Tsunami asked and Naruto nodded. "Then welcome, Haku. I'm glad to meet the girl who Naruto speaks so highly of."

"Um... thanks." She said with a small blush.

"Well, come in, come in." Tsunami said. "I'll make some tea." She let the duo walk into the house and shut the door. "Just sit on the couch and I'll be back in a bit."

Naruto sat and Haku found a seat beside him, a little reserved around the new people still if her holding onto Naruto's arm was any indication.

"Naruto-nii-san, your new friend is way prettier than that the pink one." Inari said. "Is she your girlfriend?"

"G-girlfriend?" Naruto and Haku asked at once with matching blushes.

"Who wants tea?" Tsunami chose that exact moment to appear with a pot and cups. "Um... did I miss something?" She asked as she noticed Tazuna laughing, Inari grinning and both guests flushed deep red.

"Not a thing." Tazuna said. "So, what brings you here, Naruto?"

"Actually... a favor I'd like to ask... and it's kind of a big one."

"The entire village would do anything for our hero, you know that."

"Well... I'd like some help. But my favor needs a little back story to explain it. I found out that I'm the last of the main house branch of the Uzumaki clan and also the next in line for clan head because my mother was. Not only that... she was also the princess of Uzu no Kuni. I also found out a bit of history of Uzu no Kuni and Nami no Kuni; the islands used to be one. They were only separated thirty years ago..."

"You're right." Tazuna suddenly interrupted. "This island used to be joined with the island of Uzu not too far off. I was alive when it happened. The Daimyo had two sons and couldn't decide who to ascend to the throne, so he had the Uzukage separate the island in two with his Wave and Land Release bloodlines. In exchange, the Uzukage gained the Daimyo's daughter's hand in marriage... Kushina-hime was your mother?"

"She was." Naruto replied. "I would like to ask, Tazuna-san... would you please convince the citizens of Nami to rejoin Uzu? I want to have my village one again. It is still not in complete condition and in fact, the village is in disrepair, but the Whirlpool Barrier will be down for the next week."

"I see..." Tazuna said. "I am the mayor, so I should be able to try something. I owe you that much for not only saving my village and bridge, but saving my daughter and grandson." Tazuna nodded to himself. "Yes, I will do it. If nothing else, I will personally go there. I remember the time when the islands were one and I would like to see it again."

"Thank you Tazuna." Naruto said. "We have another mission to do but I don't think remaining in Nami for a few days will harm us."

"That sounds absolutely wonderful!" Tsunami said cheerfully. "I'll set two more places at the table and you can have your own room."

"Yay! Nii-san and his girlfriend are staying here!"

"Sh-shut up, Inari!"

**[One Week Later, Outside Oniji Village]**

"That doesn't feel so good..." Naruto mumbled as the trio walked down the road. Haku was on his left, Winter Scythe over her shoulder and Kurama walked on his right.

"The emotions are... volatile." Haku agreed. "A large group surrounding a much smaller one. The massive one is exuding murderous intent while the smaller one is... a cross of fear and anger."

"So..." the resident Yoko said, "It's a fight then? Right outside Oniji Village?"

"Yes." Naruto said. "Seven signatures holding off very many signatures. Most of the bigger group feels like bandits."

"Those must be the samurai and puppeteers Youtsuchi mentioned." Haku said as they saw the village being sieged by a large group when they rose over the hill.

"I do believe this would be a wonderful time to help out, don't you?" Kurama asked as her crimson eyes turned black with nine red arms curving out from the pupil.

**[Seconds earlier]**

**"Magnet Style: Electromagnetic Pulse Jutsu!"** A ravenette woman wrapped in a tan cloak not unlike those common in Wind Country shouted as she held a ram seal. Her hair was done two large hoop-shapes on either side of her face and two piercing, teal eyes observed the battlefield. As she thrust her hands forward a volley of arrows heading toward her group suddenly stopped before being sent in random directions.

"Kaa-san! Look out!" A boy of about thirteen shouted as he moved his fingers and a ten foot snake of steel moved to wrap her up, protecting her from a large boulder headed her way. The boy had spiky red hair of the pale shade common in Suna, crimson eyes and pale skin while he wore a matching cloak to his mother.

Another woman appeared just above the redhead with a katana and dressed in samurai armor as she blocked a large war hammer wielded by a bandit before kicking the man and beheading him. She had raven hair in a loose ponytail and blue eyes. "Careful Kazejin-kun."

"Sorry, Kyoushi-sensei!" He apologized and moved his hand to command chakra strings to redirect senbon from a shinobi among the crowd into hitting the enemy.

The flow of battle suddenly halted as a large force bore down on everyone present, an energy that seemed to exude power. In the center of the seven who protected Oniji Village, a black swirl appeared and released three individuals.

"Well, this looks fun." Kurama said.

"Who are you?" Another of the samurai, this one who had Kyoushi's hair and eyes but was of a larger build and held a zanbatou which resembled a meat cleaver.

"Uzumaki Naruto, at your service." Naruto said easily as he pulled Kubikiribōcho from his back, bandages automatically undoing themselves. "Ryutsuchi and Youtsuchi told us we could find five samurai here... but instead we find an army of bandits and shinobi?"

"Let's show them the wrath of the Uzumaki clan, Naruto-kun!" Haku said as she heard his thoughts and spun the Winter Scythe in her hands before slamming the staff end onto the ground. **"Ice Style: Divine Tundra!" (Ninja Art: Ice Fields)**

"Yes... let's." Naruto held his zanbatou and slashed downward with seals glowing. **"Ninja Art: Steel Rain!" **And just like that, a wave of kunai flew outwards, slamming into some bandits. He then held his sword out horizontally for Haku to jump onto it.

**"Foxfire: Stream!" **She shouted. Spitting out purple fire as her scythe forced ice to form around it, she created a Morningstar and it slammed into another bandit, exploding in needles of fire and ice to kill surrounding men.

She jumped high and slashed her scythe. **"Freezing Winds!" **Several slashes of wind traveled down and cut into over a dozen men, freezing their bodies into ice sculptures while Naruto ran forward.

A shinobi, one formerly of Kiri if his hitai-ite was to be trusted, came with an ax in his hands to kill the teen. Naruto's blade became coated in wind chakra and he slashed right through the steel blade before cutting into the man's chest.

As soon as blood touched his sword, it glowed red with seals lighting up. "Time to test my new move..." Naruto mumbled. He had learned a thing or two from the scroll the Gohai siblings gave him. **"Ninja Art: Blood Style Needle Storm!" (Ninja Art: Blood Style Needle Storm)**

As Naruto slashed horizontally, nearly a hundred needles of blood shot from the crimson liquid he had gathered on his cleaver-like blade. As they stabbed into the crowd, more blood sprayed from their wounds as they fell as dead as the first man. Haku landed right next to Naruto then. "I do believe that is your cue, sensei." The two said as one.

In a swirl of flames, said demoness appeared, distinctive red energy surrounding her body. Quicker than any of them could follow, she was gone and multiple men had blood erupt from their bodies before flames enveloped them. Seeing the danger these new foes presented, many of the bandits turned tail with the shinobi among them cursing and doing the same.

The trio smiled to themselves and Haku forced the snowy landscape to disappear by her will while Naruto allowed bandages to wrap back around his sword and placed it on his back. "That was amazing..." the boy known as Kazejin said in awe as he walked with the group of six adults, his metallic snake puppet gone, probably sealed away.

"Did you say your name was...?" Kyoushi began.

"I'm Uzumaki Naruto, son of Uzumaki Kushina." He replied.

"And the Gohai twins sent you?" A samurai with dark skin, brown eyes, white hair and armor holding a sickle and chain asked. His physique gave the trio an impression he was trained for speed and precision.

"Yeah, Ryutsuchi said to tell you... the Whirlpool, though bloodied and stained is healing, it shall flow fully once more and suck up all who once tried to stop it." Naruto replied.

"Fuukai..." Kyoushi breathed. "If they gave that message..." The one who appeared to be her brother nodded.

"Why did they not come?" Fūkai asked.

"They remained in Uzu. As it stands, only the First Ring is open and even it has bodies and destruction. They agreed to stay and clean, as did the citizens of Wave."

"Wave? As in... Wave Country?" the dark-skinned man asked.

"Yes I do, um..."

"I am Yami."

"Well, Yami, I convinced the citizens of Wave to return to Uzu and make up the civilian populace of the hidden village."

"If such a thing is true... you may very well be the true prince of Uzushio... lost to our hated enemy who once was called friend, the Leaf."

"Uzuyuki, actually..." Naruto replied. "It's sort of a long story and those bandits might return. Might we be able to go inside?"

"Of course, Uzumaki-sama." Fūkai said. "Please come inside. Yami, Juumei, please stand guard."

Yami and another man nodded. The other was a platinum blonde man with gray eyes built with log-like arms who held a strange staff with a ninjato-length blade on both ends over his right shoulder.

About ten minutes later, the remaining three samurai, two puppeteers, two Bonded and one demoness were seated in a large room, each with cups of tea in them.

"Would you care to begin?" The woman who was Kazejin's mother asked.

"First, introductions." Naruto stated. "I'm Uzumaki Naruto, as I said before. To my right is my sensei, Kurama and to my right is Yuki Haku who is my... what is the term, sensei?"

"Ah, dear Haku-chan is your Soulbound, my little kit."

"Soulbound?" Fūkai asked.

"I'll explain."

"Well, I am Fūkai. To my left is my twin sister, Kyoushi and my right is Hachiga." Hachiga was just as dark as Yami with the same exact looks except he had a pineapple ponytail and wore a katana on his back. "The others were Yami, Hachiga's twin brother, and my sister's husband, Juumei."

"I am Sabaku no Hana." The female puppet master said. "And my son here is Akasuna no Kazejin."

"Akasuna..." Haku mumbled before her eyes widened. "As in, Sasori?"

Kazejin's eyes narrowed at the mere mention of that name. "Don't compare me to my worthless, deadbeat father." Kazejin demanded. "He abandoned my mother and me; I would hate his slimy guts if his wooden body even had any."

"Right..." Kurama said. "As for our tale, Naruto-kun?"

"Well... where should I start?"

"I thought Kushina-hime was in Konoha?" Hana asked.

"She was..." Naruto said. "She died thirteen years ago when Kurama here was ripped from the seal and forced to rampage under a Genjutsu cast by an Uchiha on the night of my birth."

"You're the Kyūbi?" Hachiga asked and Kurama nodded.

"This is my human form." Suddenly her form was covered in purple fire before a pair of fox ears and three fox tails appeared on her body. "Would this form help you remember?"

"You only have three tails?" Fūkai questioned.

"That was part of a deal she made with me. On my fifth birthday after I was beaten by a mob of civilians in Konoha, Kurama and I met and made a deal. Her end of the bargain was to give me four of her tails on my twelfth birthday."

"The other two tails she is missing went to me." Haku spoke up. "A few weeks ago, I was nearly killed by Naruto-kun's former sensei and he healed me with a Hell Style technique."

"The Hell Style: Healing of Nine Hells." Kurama said. "In short, Naruto and Haku now share lives, souls, memories, chakra and other things. They are bonded so closely they are now only able to use one term to describe it."

"Soulbound." Hana remarked. "Then, would that not make Haku our princess?"

"I suppose it would..." Kurama replied. "I never thought of it like that. Especially after that thing at the Wave festival they threw for my kit." Naruto and Haku immediately grew blushes.

"What happened?" Kazejin asked curiously. The adults in the room grinned, already guessing.

"I do hope your relationship with Haku-hime flourishes, Naruto-sama." Kyoushi said with a slight grin, unable to resist teasing the two on such an occasion.

"I'm confused..." Kazejin frowned.

"Oh, I'll tell you!" Kurama said. "My kit here and his vixen went on a date at the festival and it was so cute! They had dinner together, then a walk on the beach, Naruto won Haku a cute stuffed fox for Haku-chan and then at the very end before they went to bed, Naruto and Haku shared their first..."

"Kurama!" They yelled at her with bright blushes.

"Fine!" The gossipy vixen said. She crossed her arms under her breasts. "You two ruin all of my fun." Kazejin seemed to have gotten the idea though and had a small blush of his own.

"When did you leave Konoha?" Fuukai decided to help out the young couple by changing the subject.

"Right after I healed Haku-ch... Haku-hime." Naruto corrected himself. He felt more satisfaction in the blush she experienced than he should've. "Then we left Wave and met the Youryuu Rendan two weeks later. After that, we headed to Uzu and made a decision..."

"Uzushio died when the invasion took place." Haku said in Naruto's place. She knew all his thoughts just as well as she knew her own. "So... Naruto-kun decided to rename the village in order to keep the memory of the siege alive. If we had kept on going with Uzushio, it would be as if no one ever died."

"I never thought about that..." Kyoushi whispered.

"Which is why as the prince, and as one of the two living with DNA of both the Uzumaki and Yuki... it was renamed Uzuyuki, just like how the village was originally named for the Uzumaki clan who founded it."

"The logic is very sound." Hana said.

""I assume there is a good reason you are here, Naruto-sama?" Hachiga asked.

"There is... we need the other seven Keys." He said. "Youtsuchi told me that your group would know how to locate the Keys. Was he correct?"

Fūkai sighed. "I am sorry, Naruto-sama. We can only lead you to one." He said. "The Guardians are organized in hearts."

"Hearts?" Kurama asked.

"They are cells made of three individuals or groups who act as a single unit. Each heart has three units who know one another. The heart we are a part of includes the Gohai brothers and a Guardian of the Blade called Tojin Enkai."

"Which blade does he have?" Naruto asked.

"Nuibari, the Sewing Needle. We are a member of his heart, but the other is unknown to us. Do you see how this works now?"

"The entirety of the Guardians are a large chain!" Haku realized. "Which means Mei must've been the other member of Ryutsuchi and Youtsuchi's heart."

"Terumi Mei?" Hana asked. "I had wondered who Mei's other cellmate was."

"You're a Guardian too?" Naruto asked Hana. "Of what?"

"I am a Guardian of Soul and am in charge of keeping this safe." Hana placed a blue diamond-cut sapphire necklace on the table. "It is called the Kioku and allows the wearer to access the memories of their ancestors."

"Kami-sama..." Haku breathed. "That is amazing..."

"Naruto-sama, it is yours." Hana said but Naruto shook his head. "Pardon?"

He took the necklace and looked at Haku. "I think Haku-hime should have it."

"Naruto-kun?"

"You are much more responsible than I am, you are more experienced than me, faster, smarter and on top of that... it would match your eyes beautifully." Haku blushed as Naruto placed the amulet around her neck.

"A-Arigatō, Naruto-kun..."

"Kawaii!" Kurama squealed. "So adorable!"

"That's the fearsome Kyūbi no Yoko?" Kazejin whispered to his mother. Hana smiled at the scene though.

"I would like to ask a favor of you though, Naruto-sama." Fuukai said gaining the prince's attention. "That band of rogues will likely be back soon. Would you much mind aiding us in the battle sure to come?"

Naruto, Haku and Kurama and looked at each other and smiled in Haku's case or smirked in the case of the other two. "Training opportunity if I ever saw one." The demoness spoke.

"We're in." The Uzuyuki couple answered as one.


	5. Chapter V

**Of Snow and Whirlpools**

**Chapter V: Youkai and Jinchuuriki**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any other elements that may appear in this story. I only own my OC's, original Kekkai Genkai/ jutsu/ clans/ weapons and the plot.**

"What is this?" Naruto asked as his guide, Kazejin, was showing him around the village as well as Haku. Kurama had requested to go with Hana instead. He was referencing the large temple in the west side of the village. The temple itself was large and ominous, two fifteen-foot snakes of stone 'guarding' the arch entrance where an inscription lay on the obsidian building. _"Eight Strikes as One, Complete Control, Complete Cooperation, the Demon lived in Balance, only to be killed by a single Blade, the Key to his Defeat."_

"This..." Kazejin seemed a bit hesitant. "This is one of the Temples here in Oniji." He sighed. "Oniji is home to two Temples of great importance here in the Elemental Nations. The first one was built in honor of the moon. She is called by many names, most notably Tsukiyomi. Her Temple is on the east side of the village, just as the Moon rises on the east following the Sun each day.

"This temple is... different." He spoke. "It is dedicated to a grand demon only trumped in strength by your Biju-sensei at her full strength. A beastly snake yokai with eight heads on one body and powers to take on even minor gods easily and match the strength of Susanoo, Tsukiyomi and Amaterasu evenly. This is the Temple of Orochi, the Eight-Headed Serpent Demon."

"What is it, Naruto-kun?" Haku asked as she grasped his hand. She could feel something in him through the Bond. She wasn't sure exactly what it was. Like a... pull. As if the Temple was calling to Naruto.

"I want to go inside." Naruto stated quietly. Kazejin's crimson orbs widened.

"Wh-what? Are you sure, Uzumaki-sama?"

"Absolutely. I am positive that I need to go inside. You may stay if you wish." Naruto stepped between the statues of the serpents, Haku at his side, fingers intertwined. Kazejin looked reserved but sighed and stepped forward. He still let some iron sand trickle out of his sleeves just in case.

The trio stepped inside and it was incredibly dark inside, only the ominous light of torchlight granting any bit of illumination to allow them the ability to see even a slight distance within the ancient building. Shadows stretched over the building and the first room upon answering had pillars holding the second floor up, stone serpents curled upon them and gazing at the center of the room, ruby eyes glistening in the soft amber torchlight.

"Creepy..." Haku mumbled and gripped Naruto's hand tighter. He turned his head and smiled to her.

"Hold on hime..." He said softly and rose his right hand, a ball of blue foxfire materializing and staying there even as he lowered his hand back. Looking in his eyes, she was surprised they were crimson with black, slit pupils. He was in Zero-Tails Mode. "The Demonic Art: Witchlight lets me make an orb of light using yokai that stays until I stop channeling yokai in my body." He explained to the question she didn't have to ask because of their Bond.

"That... is really cool." Kazejin said as he stood on Naruto's right side, looking at it. "What's it made from?" Naruto stopped and let the Witchlight float to the center of the room, illuminating the whole chamber, the other two halting their motion as well. The ball moved forward, the trio following it as he replied.

"It's made of blue Foxfire. It's not near as hot as Phoenix Fire or Hellfire but still hotter than white-hot flames that normal Fire Release can make. The reason no heat escapes it though – according to Kurama-sensei – is because the youkai keeping it together only allows the light to escape. If it collided with another object though, it would give them an unhealable burn and set the area around the point of impact ablaze." Hearing this, Kazejin made sure not to get too close to the Witchlight.

They soon reached the other end of the chamber and Naruto spotted a spiraling staircase leading down. "In there... that's where we need to go for sure." His companions looked less than enthusiastic towards the prospect of going underground, but didn't say anything about their qualms. "The stairs look a bit old though... I think we should go one at a time." He explained. "I don't think it would be a good idea to cause any property damage in a temple."

"I'm the guide, so I'll go first." Kazejin told the Uzumaki, who nodded and stepped aside for the boy. As the young puppeteer went down the stairs, Naruto had his Witchlight hover down with him to give him some light. After about fifteen seconds, Haku looked at her Soulbound who smiled.

"I can go next, Haku-hime." She shook her head.

"You aren't going first or last. You do realize that we can just walk on the walls, right?" Naruto searched for words before face palming. Haku giggled before grabbing his hand and pulling him along. "You wanted to take the stairs, so go ahead. I'll take the ninja route." The blonde chuckled and began walking down the stairs as he materialized another Witchlight while Haku walked along the wall, just behind him. Once they got to the bottom, they spied Kazejin.

The redhead looked at Haku and sighed. "Why didn't I think of that?" He wondered, though Haku remained silent with a simple smile on her lips. Naruto dismissed one of his orbs as he looked around.

"Wow... this place is..."

"Creepier than the room upstairs?" Haku offered. This chamber was mostly open with columns along either side holding up the roof, each one with stone snakes wrapped around them and their 'eyes' – which were actually large, yellow topaz – were trained on the center of the room where a hole was, a single snake head standing there while its neck and body was not visible. Its jaw was open though, with a large scroll in between its fangs.

"Hey, Kazejin, what's in that scroll?" Naruto asked the puppet-user, realizing it was what was pulling on him. Kazejin shrugged.

"This temple is actually forbidden, you see... no one but the Five Samurai and my mother are allowed to come in here and they never do for... certain reasons..." At his two companions' looks, he continued though with hesitation. "Well... I'm not sure of all the specifics, since I was very young when it happened, but this place is not a normal temple. It was at one time open to the public, but after some things went missing. Anytime people came in besides the Ronin and my kaa-san, things... happened."

"That doesn't explain much." Naruto replied while he continued to eye the scroll. It was calling to him... he had to have it.

"Well, like I said, I was too young. All I remember is that some people ended up getting injured on the lower levels and even a few dying and the Temple was shut off to the public. Only the Moon Shrine is still open." Haku kept her eyes on her Soulbound, taking his hand.

"Hm?" He shook his head, getting rid of those thoughts. "For a Snake Demon's temple, there is a distinct lack of serpents here..." He pointed out, getting a nod from his companions.

"_**Isss that right?"**_A voice echoed around the room they were in. The trio tensed, Naruto laying a hand on the hilt of Kubikiribōcho, Haku reaching for Fuyu no Daikama and Kazejin's dust gathering around him. _**"Maybe we're jussst hiding?"**_

In a single moment, the stone snakes around two of the pillars uncurled and shot right at the three shinobi, rock becoming scales mid-flight with mouths wide open. Iron Sand wrapped around one of them, snapping its neck while Naruto and Haku slashed out blades of wind at the second, leaving it in several pieces that writhed around erratically in the throes of death.

"Show yourself!" Haku demanded as frost coated the area around her feet. Backing up, the three were able to watch all directions. "Who are you?"

"_**The Guardian of thisss Temple."**_The voice spoke up from one side of the room. **"**_**There is but one Ssscroll left from the once eight that resssided here. Ssseven ssscattered acrossssss the landsss by thievesss who ssstole without firssst ssseeking our mastersss permissssssion."**_The voice was then on the other side, making them surprised.

"We're not here to steal anything." Kazejin replied, glancing around.

"_**Othersss have sssaid the sssame. Why ssshould you be believed?"**_

"We were just curious." Naruto spoke up. "Something called me to this place, I just want to know what it is." Silence reigned over the chamber until that voice spoke in its whispery tone again.

"_**Isss that ssso?"**_It was quiet a moment later when another whispery voice too low for the three to hear came from where the voice had. A few moments more and the first voice spoke, amusement clear. _**"It ssseemsss the Barsss are opening once more... my Massster wishesss to tessst you..."**_

"Test us...?" Haku wondered when suddenly torches lit up the whole room, revealing a single figure that wasn't human nor was _it _snake. It was the only way to describe the thing, as it was green and scaly, with a human-like upper body and a snake's tail for lower body. The arms were slender but clawed, stained black with what was likely blood. As for the creature's face, it had slits for nostrils, amber eyes with slit pupils, no hair and an elongated mouth that gave it the appearance of a snake's, fangs protruding and dripping with purple liquid that steamed every time the substance hit the stone floor.

"_**A sssacrificcce for Orochi-sama. You three or myssself will die today. Thisss is your tessst. Now... die!"**_In a blur of motion, the thing rushed forward, using speed that tail didn't look capable of traveling. Clawed hands came down to crush Naruto in a killing blow he couldn't dodge when a cloud of powdered iron came up in a shield above him, granting time to jump away.

"Thanks, Kazejin." He muttered as the legendary zanbatou he possessed came up, pointing at the thing. Rushing forward, Naruto held the blade low and slashed at the snake-being, shocked when it balanced on its tail, moving around the blade's path like a contortionist, springing forward with claw extended to tear into his flesh. Quickly channeling his chakra, he performed a Kawarimiwith one of the dead snakes, watching warily as the corpse melted where its claws gashed the scaled.

"We need to be smarter, Naruto-kun." Haku warned him, getting him to nod in agreement. She channeled chakra into her scythe, slamming the staff into the ground. **"Ice Style: Divine Tundra!" **Immediately, the entire chamber frosted over, icicles hanging from the ceiling, ice coating the columns, snow covering the floor around them and only chakra allowing the shinobi to stay above it.

The cold might have been slightly uncomfortable to Kazejin – not even affecting Haku or Naruto – but the reptilian humanoid was noticeably affected, a look of pain crossing its face. "Looks like ice might be the best option against this thing." Naruto noted. Channeling Ice chakra through his blade, it was covered in a blue layer of jagged spikes, resembling another of the Seven Swords in appearance.

"Ready, Naruto-kun?" Haku asked as she stood next to him, getting a nod. In twin bursts of speed with synchronous movement that was thanks to their telepathic link, the two each slashed at the thing with their blades. It appeared that even with the cold, the monster was still too fast for them, slipping in between the blades as it sailed overhead, springing back to attack them from behind. If not for a large, steel snake, the Uzuyuki duo might have been impaled.

Quickly turning, they jumped forward as the snake moved. With a slash, multiple ice shards sped right towards the monster. **"Ice Style Sword Art: Winter's Heart!" **The target was much too quick for most of the projectiles, though the trio noticed with satisfaction that one grazed its shoulder. They _could _hit it. And it seemed the creature was in pain from the freezing blade.

With his blade once more flat, Naruto held it out horizontally, watching as Haku flipped onto it. With his hand held out, he caught her scythe, spinning before slashing with the zanbatou. Haku was flung right from his weapon and at the creature. Without any seals, a mirror formed behind the creature which Haku landed on vertically, catching the scythe Naruto had thrown and slashing at it.

As was usual, it dodged, but Haku was prepared this time. Sinking into the mirror, a half-dome of the same kind appeared in the chamber. **"Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals!" **In each one stood Haku, and without warning dozens of senbon shot out from them, impaling the snake-person before the scythe spun through the air and nearly sliced through its head.

As it dodged, the scythe that was stuck in the ground was suddenly replaced by Naruto, who slashed down at the thing's neck. With the usual grace, it barely dodged, not noticing the cloud of iron sand that came behind it until the last moment. Several cuts littered the things scales, but it still was alive until Naruto and Haku appeared on either side, thumb and forefinger forming a circle in front of their mouths.

"**Ice Style: Freezing Mist Jutsu!" **A large cloud of bone-chilling mist spread from their mouths, covering the snake-thing entirely and preventing further movement as it froze solid. The new ice sculpture was still as Naruto and Haku had ragged breaths that showed in the cold chamber. Gripping her scythe, Haku retracted her Divine Tundra, returning the area to its normal temperament.

"That was... unexpected." Kazejin pointed out as he sealed his snake puppet into a scroll, hiding it on his person. The Uzuyuki pair nodded, standing straight once more as a new voice appeared over the entire chamber. The voice was accompanied by a... presence that bore down upon all three of them. This presence was heavy like Killer Intent but not malicious, as if it was simply _there_.

"**I sssee you passssssed my tessst... I had a feeling you would. The scroll is yours now, Demon Sssummoner. Your tenant will know what it doesss... now leave me!"**

A flash of light, that's all it was. A flash of crimson light and then the three found themselves covering their eyes instinctively against the sunlight that bore down upon them in an instant. _Wait... sunlight? _The three looked around to find themselves outside the Temple once more. Naruto had a large scroll in hand as well.

"I think it would be best if we stay away from that place and never tell kaa-chan or the Samurai of this..." Kazejin noted, surprisingly gaining a nod from the two Uzuyuki.

"Come on, let's go find Kurama-sensei." Naruto told them, leading them out.

**[One Hour Later]**

"Hm..." Kurama let a smirk slowly grace her lips as she looked at her students and the young puppeteer before her. She had heard the story they regaled her with regarding the little event inside Orochi's Temple and let loose a small laugh, highly confusing the trio. "Alright, well I suppose I should explain some things to you then, Naruto-kun."

The blonde nodded his head. "If you would be so kind to, it would be very nice." He replied to her, looking at the opened Summoning Contract that was on a table between the quartet. He watched as the bijuu trailed her fingers along its paper before chuckling.

"I had thought I had a bit more time to explain this... but I suppose I'm not so lucky. Alright, the truth is, you can sign this Contract right now." This made Naruto widen his eyes and Haku frown as she spoke up.

"But sensei... that seems strange. I mean... Naruto already has a Contract, right? I mean, since you're inside him, the Kitsune also at his call, but why this Contract as well? Are the Uwabumi and Kitsune Clans allied?" The fox shook her head.

"Oh, not so close as that. You see, it's actually all because of that Uchiha Contract. Due to events of my own past, I ended up having to give Madara a Contract. It wasn't for myself, or even for the Kitsune. He obtained a Contract capable of Summoning youkai. Damn him for taking my star ball when I was so drunk…" Kurama seemed to be brooding over a past mistake before shaking her head and grinning. "Little known to many of you mortals, the Summons Clans are actually split up into broader groups. While Orochi and I don't see eye to eye often and aren't what you would call 'close' we don't kill each other because of something called the 'Master Contract'."

"Master Contract?" Naruto wondered. "What does that mean?" He could throw out several thoughts on the possibilities that popped into his head, but it would be better – and quicker – to simply let Kurama explain it to him.

"Yes, you see, the Contracts many mortals hold are actually what could be considered... Sub-Contracts. Take that former sensei of yours. He has the Dog Contract. That in of itself gives him the allegiance over all breeds of Dog Summons. However, if he were to have found the Wolf Contract, he would have similar – if more battle-oriented – familiars at his disposal. Now, above each of those, there is a Master Contract called the Canine Contract which allows him some Summons of either of them _and _the choice to sign Contracts of the Wolves _and _Dogs."

All three widened their eyes as they understood. "So... I have the Youkai Master Contract..." Naruto breathed. "That's why I can Summon Kitsune and also sign the Uwabumi Contract... are there others?" Kurama nodded.

"There are. Actually, several major Sub-Contracts and even more less powerful – though still strong in their own right – minor Contracts. The Kitsune and Uwabumi are some of the major ones." She nodded to herself and motioned him to look at the Contract. "So, come on, go ahead and sign it."

Without even hesitating, he nodded and bit his thumb. Signing his name, he grinned. "Nothing too big, Naru-kun." Haku warned him with a look that told him she knew what he had been thinking. "I'm sure the citizens of Oniji would _not _appreciate an eight-headed Snake Demon Boss appearing out of nowhere and a crushed house where the Summoner of such a being was staying."

Rubbing the back of his head, Naruto grinned sheepishly. "I'll wait until battle then..." He said, getting a nod from her before he performed the necessary handseals, blood still coming out of his thumb. Slamming his palm onto the table next to the scroll, he announced **"Summoning Jutsu: Uwabumi!" **He wanted to be sure that he didn't accidentally Summon one of the Kitsune.

In a cloud of smoke, a coiled up viper flicked its tongue as it looked around the room, finally eying Naruto. _**"You are my Sssummoner?" **_Naruto nodded. _**"How may I ssserve?"**_

The Uzumaki grinned sheepishly. "Actually, I just wanted to introduce myself. I'm Uzumaki Naruto. I think it's customary to Summon at least one familiar when you sign, right?" The viper nodded, flicking its tongue at the air again. "I also was still in a bit of disbelief about the whole... Master and Sub-Contract thing, ya know?"

"**I underssstand, Naruto-sssama." **The viper replied. **"I am Houga and you may call on me for battle anytime you sssee fit for my ssservices. I am not much of a healer or ssscout. If you would care for dessstruction though, I am glad to help. My ssspecialization is earthquakesss."**

"Wait... you can use ninjutsu?" Naruto and Haku asked at the same time. Hissing, Houga shook his head.

"**It isss not the sssame processssss you humansss use elementsss. All demonsss have a pool of youkai, a ssstronger, more potent versssion of your chakra. I would sssay the closssest your kind can come to it without holding or being part demon isss... the Sssage Chakra some can use. Though, like you mortalsss, we demonsss have an affinity to one or more of the elemental naturesss.**

"**I hold the element of Earth to a strong degree, which allowsss me to incite quakesss." **The Uzuyuki duo nodded.

"Can we learn to use the same techniques you can since we have pools of youkai?" Naruto asked Houga. The snake regarded Naruto and Haku before slowly nodding.

"**There are certain Demon Artsss only the Uwabumi Summoner can utilize, but I am quite sure that Orochi-sssama will allow your mate to learn the general Demon Artsss." **Naruto and Haku blushed lightly at her being named his mate, but said nothing. **"Do you require anything elssse, Naruto-sssama?" **Houga asked submissively.

"No... that's alright. You can leave." Houga nodded and – in a cloud of smoke – disappeared completely. Eying the Contract, Naruto rolled it back up and then sealed it away in one of his personal scrolls, the same the Demon Contract was kept in. Tucking the scroll back in his coat, Naruto smiled until he suddenly stood stock-still. "Can you feel that, Haku-hime?"

The girl nodded silently. "It is time." She replied as the two looked at their sensei and new friend. "The bandits are approaching and by their anger, they won't run away this time."

Kurama grinned a devilish smile. "Well, looks like you two have some harsh training ahead of you!" She announced before disappearing. The two ice-users sighed.

"She's leaving us on our own, isn't she?" Naruto wondered, getting a nod from his girlfriend. Each of them put a hand on one of Kazejin's shoulder before all three disappeared in a swirl of foxfire and ice, reappearing at a guard tower they felt the samurai and Hana were gathered.

The sextet didn't seem at all surprised by their arrival, simply looking out at the oncoming dust cloud. "They are coming back. I don't think their leader appreciated us killing off so many this time." Kyoushi explained needlessly, simply filling the all-consuming silence.

Naruto scoffed. "We can totally take them." He told them cockily, hoping to give them some confidence. "Don't even worry one bit." Grabbing Kubikiribōcho's hilt, he unsheathed the legendary blade as ice and wind covered the whole blade. "We made them run yesterday, but today we'll exterminate them."

Haku was silent, but nodded as she set her scythe's handle against the ground, leaning on it like a staff. When she did speak, it was calm, unlike Naruto's boisterous voice. "I agree with Naruto-kun. These are mostly bandits with some number of shinobi. Naruto-kun's sensory abilities tell me only a few are worth worrying over. We will win this day, though."

Naruto grinned, nodding. "We're Uzu..." looking at Haku, his smirk widened. "Uzuyuki. We're Uzuyuki and will accomplish what seems impossible. They have numbers, yeah, but who cares? We have the better warriors! Five Ronin, a puppet-mistress and a puppet master plus two hanyou are more than a match for some bandits and a few shinobi, most of which are Chuunin or worse! Oniji has nothing to worry about while we're here!"

The Ronin and puppeteers couldn't help but smile to varying degrees at his little pep talk, their confidence returning just like that. It reinforced their thoughts that this boy truly was the Prince of Uzushio, uniting the clans once more after the family was separated.

"Let's kick some ass." Naruto told them with a grin as he jumped off the tower to the ground, quickly followed by Haku and the Ronin doing similar actions and the puppet-users using Iron Sand platforms to float down. As the eight warriors looked upon the approaching bandits and ninja, Naruto stepped forward at the same moment the assumed leader did.

Soon, Naruto and the leader were only a few feet away, making eye contact. Eying the woman, he saw she was a kunoichi wearing a scratched Kumo hitai-ite with darker skin that was about the same tone as caramel with scars littering her body. She wore a very dark blue shirt with short sleeves, fishnet extending up to her wrists, a loose, flowing, matching skirt and fishnet stockings. Around each foot up to her ankles, bandages were wrapped as well as around either of her hands. All of her fingers had a unique feature though: long, steel nails that tapered to a dangerous point.

"You look a decade too young to hold that sword, brat. Why don't you hand it over and maybe I'll let you live?" A smirk touched the woman's full lips. Naruto looked at her, knowing her name immediately from the Bingo Book he had memorized.

"Leave, Sou, or you and your bandits _will _die today." He spoke cold as the frosty mist rising off his blade. She giggled at his statement.

"So the brat knows my name. Shouldn't you tell a lady your own as well?" She asked with a pout that looked strange when coupled with her steel claws. Naruto decided to humor the woman.

"Uzumaki Naruto," He simply stated as his cleaver pointed its blade at her form. "Your killer." In a flash of speed, he slashed down at her head, not even surprised when she crossed her claws to block his strike. This was the trigger to everything... as his attack caused the opposing army to rush on, bandits yelling as they rushed with weapons drawn. Ninja let loose ranged ninjutsu or raining ninja tools as the seven other guardians of Oniji began their own assault with samurai rushing, Haku using mirrors to delve into the crowd and the puppeteers to pull out their weapons to attack from afar.

Naruto pushed against the woman, making her jump back as her claws sparked dangerously with blue lightning. In a blur of speed, she lunged with her right hand, her left staying behind her as he sidestepped the stabbing motion. Her left hand swiped across and nearly got his neck if not for his blocking with Kubikiribouchou.

Spinning around as he lowered the blade, he brought it horizontally parallel with the ground and aimed at her midsection as icy spikes covered the entire length of the blade. She easily jumped above it and spun, diving right at him in a dangerous drill that could penetrate flesh easily.

Quickly using a Kawarimi with a nearby bandit, the woman simply tore through her own soldiers, detaching herself from the corpse just in time to see the oncoming arc of fire coming her direction. Her cheeks puffed out large after she called out **"Water Style: Wild Water Wave!" **And a stream of water turned the flames into mist.

Performing a one-handed Ram seal, he latched his chakra on the mist before thickening and expanding it, covering a good section around them. **"Hidden Mist Jutsu!" **He smirked upon seeing the sparking claws in the mist, easily able to discern the woman's location. Gathering chakra once more, he condensed the mist to his right into a Water Clone while a Shadow Clone appeared in a cloud of smoke to his left. Nodding to them, the clones followed him as he quickly made his way through the mist, careful not to make any sound.

The Water Clone rushed first, seeing the woman searching around aimlessly for any sign of him. Jumping up, the copy of Kubikiribouchou he held frosted over with a sharp edge of ice, aiming right for her neck. Sou quickly looked up at the oncoming blade and spun out of the Clone's range, aiming a sparking lunge for his back before he was replaced in a cloud of smoke by the Shadow Clone, who blocked with a Wind-coated sword that actually sliced off two of her claws.

The Water Clone then rushed from behind her, aiming to bisect her laterally. Sou seemed to sense this as well, using her left hand's three remaining blades to block the blade as she ducked under the Shadow Clone's slash before kicking it in the ribs hard enough to send him skidding back but not dispel him.

Quickly spinning, Sou slashed her claws right through the Water Clone's face and leaving only a puddle of clear water on the ground. The Shadow Clone rushed right at Sou once more, blade low as he ran until slashing for her waist at the very last moment, barely held back by the woman. Gritting her teeth, Sou pushed back before stabbing the Shadow Clone with a maniacal grin... up until it exploded into smoke. Her frown was only interrupted by a look of immense pain when she looked down at the cleaver through her stomach.

Using the little energy she had left, she looked behind her to see Naruto grinning sheepishly. "Sorry about this, Sou-chan. I can't have you messing with me later though. You understand, right?" Before she could answer, he slashed to the right, freeing his blade and dispersing the mist.

As the battle ground was clear once more, the blonde couldn't help but sigh at the gruesome scene. Bandits lay on the floor, fatally wounded or already turning cold with pools of blood soaking into their armor and clothes. Shinobi and samurai fought tooth and nail to the bitter end. Puppets – including Kazejin's familiar metal snake – fought off the living.

Closing his eyes for a moment, Naruto allowed the sounds of battle to reach his ears, taking in the clash of steel on steel, the strangled cries of injury, the explosions of ninjutsu, the howling wind that was unmistakably formed by Haku-hime... mayhem. Chaos. Death. It saddened him that this was the truth of shinobi, tools of war.

Then and there, Naruto could only think one thing. _My people should never have to deal with this... I will make sure they and their children and their children's children never experience this. After I unlock the other levels... no one will suffer this unneeded death and despair. _As his eyes opened once more, blue gave way to scarlet and round pupils became slit. Slowly, a cloak of red chakra appeared above his skin, spreading to coat his body, two ears above his head and two tails forming until the red chakra condensed and sank into his skin, the tails solidifying as two more came into existence.

Feeling the power of four tails worth of bijuu chakra coursing through him, Naruto send Haku a message and waited until he felt the samurai and the ice maiden leave the field of range before jumping higher than chakra alone could take him. Despite themselves, the remaining ninja and Ronin of the opposing side looked up at the leader of the defending squad.

Quickly performing several handseals in succession, far too fast to be anything but a blur, Naruto inhaled deeply after naming his ninjutsu. **"Forbidden Ice Style: Eternal Winter!" **He shouted. Immediately, a much larger-scale version of the Ice Style: Freezing Winds traveled from his position to cover every particle of area where the invading force stood. He still pumped chakra and youki through his tenketsu to continue as he began his descent, only stopping when he needed to land. Softly planting his feet on the ice, chakra keeping him from sliding, Naruto smirked weakly as he felt his youkai mode fade, his eyes returning to normal.

From where they stood, the Ronin and puppeteers stared wide-eyed at what their prince had just done. Every single warrior left had been frozen solid, creating a wide-range ice sculpture that included even the once green grass. Looking at Haku, they saw her smiling proudly. "That ice won't melt even on the hottest summer days." She told them. "It is an ancient jutsu of my clan... dangerous because of its chakra cost. Excuse me."

In a blur of speed none of them could match, the princess caught Naruto just before he fell, softly looking at him as she held him upright. He smiled weakly back and muttered a few words to her before closing his eyes and going limp. Hana and the samurai chuckled at the scene, amused at the genderbent roles of the whole situation. Inwardly, they were extremely impressed by that final jutsu that certainly lived up to its name.

"Naruto-kun needs rest, could we stay here another night before we head out?" Haku asked as she carried him there on her back, getting nods from the Oniji ninja and samurai.

"After your help... anything is yours." Haku smiled at that, nodding.

"A bed will be fine." Haku explained when they heard something else that made them laugh from the softly breathing Naruto, even as he slept.

"I want ramen, Haku-hime..."

**[The Next Day]**

"While I am sad to see you leave, Naruto-sama, we appreciate your aid with the utmost gratitude." Kyoushi spoke with a small smile. "Words cannot begin to even describe how thankful the entire village is for your aid. And your last attack acts as a constant reminder of our Uzumaki heritage, of our loyalty to the village. Consider Oniji part of your territory from here on."

Naruto chuckled and rubbed the back of his head. "Thanks, Kyoushi-chan... It will be some time before Uzuyuki is ready for _any _territory though. We've got only four ninja so far, two of which are Haku-hime and me." Hana perked up at the statement, smiling mischievously as she stepped forward with a nervous Kazejin in tow.

"If that is the case, Naruto-sama, would you mind much if Kazejin-chan tagged along?" This surprised everyone there except Kazejin himself, who already knew she would try this. "His training has gone well, but he needs some real-world experience. I know you'll be traveling around the Nations while you place Uzuyuki at the level it deserves to be; I think that is just the thing that he needs to become a master puppet-user."

Naruto and Haku glanced at each other, seemingly having an entire conversation. Well... literally having an entire conversation. Smiling, they looked at the mother-son duo and nodded. "It sounds like a good idea to me. Welcome to Uzuyuki, Kazejin." Naruto said. "I don't have any hitai-ites made at this point... but you can be sure that you're still a ninja of our village."

Kazejin smiled back appreciatively. "Arigatou, Naruto-sama. I will not disappoint you!"

The adults watched as the trio disappeared towards the direction of Enkai, in the ruins of the Hidden Hot Water Village. "I already know he'll make a wonderful leader and a great Kage once he reaches that level." Fuukai noted with a nod. "Come, let us make Naruto-sama proud in knowing Oniji will be protected when he returns here."

The trio traveled in comfortable silence, jumping through the trees with little difficulty. Naruto and Haku were extremely impressed with the speed and endurance of their newfound member. He looked maybe one or two years younger than them, but Kazejin was easily able to keep up with them as they ran.

"Naruto-sama?" The redhead asked, garnering the attention of both Uzuyuki. "What did the Ronin give you before we arrived at the village gates?" Naruto chuckled and pulled out a scroll from his trench coat as they continued traveling.

"Well, it is one of three scrolls for the Nuibari's techniques. I sealed it into this scroll here, which I'm using to keep all the scrolls for the Keys. I've got two of the Kubikiribouchou scrolls – I think there are three of them – and one of the Nuibari scrolls. I believe Enkai will have both Nuibari _and _one of the scrolls as well, if Zabuza was any indication."

As soon as he spoke that man's name, Naruto glanced at Haku, but saw her smiling. Nodding, he smiled back. _It's okay, Naruto-kun. I can handle hearing his name, at the least. You, of all people, know my emotions, so don't worry too much about me hiding how I feel. _

_I guess you're right, Haku-hime. I'll make sure to remember that. _Suddenly, Naruto and Haku stopped at the exact same instant, forcing Kazejin to halt his movement as well. "That chakra..." He frowned. "It's so... dense."

"Naruto-kun, I feel it too... but it's because of the emotion. I feel the absolute... corruption from it. It's not normal chakra. Something so large with this... _dark _feeling, it can only mean one thing."

"What?" Kazejin asked as he glanced between the two. "Can I be filled in on whatever you two are talking about? _Some of us _can't communicate telepathically."

"There's a jinchuuriki nearby." Naruto explained to him. "I'm unsure which one though... I've never met another one, so I don't have anyone to compare it to." Humming in thought, he nodded to himself. "Come on, let's get a closer look to whoever it is." The other two glanced at each other and then at him. "What?"

"Naruto-sama... is that wise?" Kazejin wondered. "Jinchuuriki are rumored to be able to take down armies of Jōnin alone at their peak... I know that Haku-hime and yourself have the same power as the Nibi and Yonbi respectively in addition to your own power, but what if this jinchuuriki is not friendly?" This seemed to make the blonde think a moment before he smirked.

"We're not going to be seen or sensed unless something big happens, I just want to see, alright?" Haku and Kazejin glanced at each other before sighing and following him. Following the large signature of chakra, Naruto could only compare it to... Kurama. Kakashi and Zabuza didn't even come close. Ryutsuchi and Youtsuchi paled in comparison. The signature... it was even almost as high as the combined chakra Haku and him shared.

That was the thing that intrigued him the most. He was a jinchuuriki and an Uzumaki and Haku was a clan kunoichi, even if she wasn't raised in one. Someone who neared that level had to be a strong jinchuuriki, probably at least six or seven tails, given that the two of them had six tails between them, even if they didn't quite have full control yet.

Stopping his movement, he motioned his two companions to do the same as they found themselves witness to twelve or so Kirigakure ninja surrounding a single girl with mint-green hair, a dark complexion, orange eyes and – if Haku's opinionated thoughts were anything to go by – clothing that showed a little too much skin.

In her right hand was a sword of what appeared to be water that she defended herself with relatively well, but against what was surely three full squads of Chuunin with one or two Jōnin in the mix it seemed she would fall victim soon enough. In the next instant, she released some sort of... powder at them that flashed brightly in the sunlight.

If it momentarily made the trio in the treetops have to blink, looking at it close up could only be that much worse. It was enough for the girl as she stabbed through one of the ninja, red mixing with the blue water the blade was composed of before she pulled out and let him fall to the floor. In a burst of speed from her wings, the jinchuuriki slashed down another two until one of the ninja blindsided her with a ferocious bullet of water to the side.

Seeing her hit the ground with nine battle-ready Kirigakure shinobi at the ready, Naruto stood. "I've seen enough." He pointed out. "She's the Seven-Tails Jinchuuriki. The wings are an ability from manifesting Choumei's tails, I recall Kurama telling me." Seeing the ninja slowly approach her in an effort to be ready for anything she did, he growled. "She's basically my sister... Jinchuuriki have to stick together. The Nations see us as weapons... but Uzuyuki is different!" He told Haku and Kazejin. "Stay here if you want, I'm helping her."

In a swirl of water, he was gone before either of them could even move. It was just in time to use his overly large zanbatou to block one of the Kiri ninja's tanto and surprise them when they saw the blade. Without even a word, he batted away the much smaller blade before spinning and bisecting the man at the waist.

The other eight kept their distance at that display, glaring at the boy. "Who the hell do you think you are?" One of the masked ninja asked, two wakizashi in hand to defend himself from this new player. "Leave now if you know what's good for you, leave that sword too, kiddie." Gripping the hilt in one hand, he felt the bandages loosen themselves until they fell to the ground, a bit still left on.

"You think I'll let you hurt my family and then just let leave?" Anger rising, Naruto felt his blue eyes change purple until finally becoming a deep crimson, eyes slitting. This caused the octet to growl, thinking it was some sort of dojutsu he owned and labeling him as a bloodliner scum. He couldn't care less what they hated them for, already knowing where they would be soon. "Actually, I will be leaving soon... once you are all cold as my ice!"

Feeling his anger take over, Naruto let his bijuu chakra course through his muscles as Kubikiribouchou coated itself in sharp, icy spikes before he disappeared in a blur of speed. The zanbatou ripped into one of the Kirigakure shinobi's neck, tearing his head from his shoulders. Seeing this, three of the new corpse's teammates tossed dozens of shuriken at him, only for a mirror of ice to block them. From it, Haku stepped out and laid a hand on Naruto's shoulder, instantly calming him.

"Let's work together, Naruto-kun." She said with a smile as the entire area suddenly became a winterscape from what was quickly becoming Haku's signature ninjutsu. He nodded and gripped the blade he held in both hands. "Kazejin will give us puppet support."

Turning to look at the remaining six, the pair disappeared quickly. Within the first second, another corpse was cut in half horizontally at the waist while a second was frozen solid, head shattering at it hit the floor, her body following a similar fate. A giant steel snake burst from the trees not a moment later, wrapping around another ninja as it breathed fire and killed off yet another.

The final two swallowed at the display, actually terrified at the amount of Killer Intent Naruto was releasing. "I d-don't suppose you could let us go, huh?" One asked, eliciting a smirk from Naruto.

"You can go." He said. They grinned until they felt someone behind them. It was only a moment more they lived until Kurama slashed through them with her claws, killing both instantly before flicking the blood off her nails. "Go to the next world that is."

"Who are you guys?" Naruto, Haku, Kurama and Kazejin turned, looking at the verdette, seeing her holding her arm in pain, but still looking ready to fight if need be.

"Uzumaki Naruto, leader of Uzuyukigakure no Sato, Clan head of the Uzumaki and jinchuuriki to the Kyuubi no Kitsune, at your service!"


End file.
